Cassadine Game of Thrones: Queen Natasha Rising
by eb-dawg
Summary: Sequel to What Happened on the Cassadine Islands.Centered around the Alcazars, Corinthos, Cassadine, Quartermaine includes JaSam , Barrett, Spencer, & Scorpio Families.Do Sonny & Alexis make it to the altar? Not if King Mikkosavich has a say.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Sparks flew from the ruins of Sam's Christmas gift from Jason. Everything on his body seethed with pain. He could barely breathe but he thanked God that he even had a thought that he should be breathing. Jason's nose burned with fumes from the smoke. As he turned onto his back, he realized that the combination of gas and fire wasn't good and maybe he should get as far from the crash site as possible. He tried to lift his legs but the pinning of parts of the cockpit made it difficult for him to move. His legs shook and he worried that maybe he was paralyzed. _Jason you're an idiot. You can feel your legs._ A sense of relief overcame him until he remembered that he didn't make that trip alone. _Oh shit._ "Brenda! Jax!" He shouted but his voice was a bit hoarse from the dropping temperatures that started to fall that week. Port Charles had been blessed with an unseasonably warm winter but the days leading up to New Year's Eve blew in a blistering cold. And there were times when Jason would leave the house in his black t-shirt forgetting to cover up. He coughed heavily inhaling smoke every time he tried to take a deep breath. It was too dark to see Brenda or Jax. There was no movement from either.

Jason sat up and felt around his ripped pants for his phone. It was nowhere to be found. He took a moment to soak in his surroundings. His concept of location was just as worse than him being underwater. The anxiety attack overcame him. The last time he and Brenda were lost, she read the map and he followed until she slipped into a ditch spraining her ankle. "We survived before. We'll survive again."

* * *

Lulu was rushed into the emergency room on a gurney. Patrick ripped his tuxedo from his body piece by piece and found the nearest pair of latex gloves nearby at the ready. He hovered over Lulu with his bare chest close to hers to feel her breathing. "She's still gasping for breath. We gotta move quickly people!" He charged outside to the nurses' station. "Epiphany, I know you don't like demands but can you get me a pair of clean scrubs please?"

"No problem Drake Junior." Epiphany aimed to please seeing the blood soaked blanket that covered Lulu's body upon entrance of the hospital.

Robin could barely contain herself in the elevator. As soon as the doors opened, she hiked up her dress from the ground and ran to Patrick still shirtless in the lobby and gathering his paperwork together. "Patrick, can I be in on this?"

"I need you to stay with Laura. She's completely beside herself." Patrick eyed Epiphany double checking the scrubs before handing them off to him. "Thanks." He quickly slipped on his shirt and hurried into the ER.

"What the hell happened to Lulu?" Epiphany demanded barely noticing Robin still unnerved.

Robin leaned on the counter and stretched her body still tense from hearing the gunshots below the ballroom. "Someone shot her. They were trying to shot Stavros but Lulu was hit."

"How do you know Lulu wasn't the target? Have you found the shooter?"

"Well Stavros was asked to leave and someone was aiming for him. Unfortunately Lulu was not far from Stavros."

Elizabeth stepped off the elevator and rushed over to Robin. "How is she?"

"Patrick just went into surgery."

Stefan ran down the halls of General Hospital and stopped into his office. He went into a frantic search through the drawers of his desk.

Kevin knocked on the frame of Stefan's office door. "What are you looking for?"

"Proof." Stefan averted his eyes upwards to Kevin waiting in the doorway.

"Proof of what? Is this about what we discussed? Lulu being your daughter? Do you think this is a good time for this?"

"If anything bad happens to Lesley Lulu, I want her to know for certain that I am her father."

"Part of a person's healing process is the lack of stress. This isn't a good time for Lulu or for Laura."

"Shouldn't you be chasing after the drama queen that is my sister?"

Kevin walked into Stefan's office and slammed the door shut behind him. "You said to Robert that I am on your payroll. You made it sound as if you bought me. I can't be bought, Stefan. I care about your sister. But she's out of control. And for some reason I think you want it that way. But why? What do you get out of your sister being deemed incompetent?"

Stefan remained tight-lipped.

"Stefan, do you know where Mikkosavich is?"

"I don't have a clue! How dare you accuse me of stealing my own nephew?"

"You've blackmailed Alexis before. When she came to you begging for help to get her little girl back from the custody of the Quartermaines, you told her you wouldn't help her if she didn't get you off of murder charges. What kind of brother are you?"

"A better one than Stavros or Valentin could ever dream of being. Yes the Cassadines are a deviant bunch but I've always looked after my sister's best interests. And while I had nothing to do with Mikkosavich being missing, I will admit wanting more control over his future."

"Look how well that turned out for Nikolas."

* * *

Zander was finally able to get some rest. He and Mikkosavich fell asleep together on the windowsill until Zander was awakened by the glittering Swiss sun. He loved the feeling of all 30 pounds of sleeping Mikkos resting on his chest. "I'm going to teach you how to ski today. It's a new day and a new year. One more obligation to get done for Helena and I should have enough money saved up to strike out on my own again. It'll be just you and me."

Zander was able to put Mikkos down in his crib and get himself together for another day of acting as an interested audience for the man that he called his father, Harlan Barrett. Harlan took Zander under his wing shortly after Zander's "death". He did it in hopes of grooming Zander into the son that he never had. Instead Harlan was strapped with two daughters, Julia and Brenda. Though he loved them both, Harlan bought into the meme that only boys and men were valuable to the family business.

Zander pulled his iPad from his backpack and slipped it under his arm before entering Harlan's massive office. The size was fit for the ego. "Happy New Year." His voice was low and shaky as he feared Harlan. Zander was privy to phone calls had between Harlan and Faison. And their discussions were nothing short of vengeful. Even though Zander's hands were bloody with his latest murder, of Ric Lansing, he felt he was justified in his revenge. He took a seat in one of the plush chairs situated across from Harlan and turned on his iPad hoping to finish off a game of Words with Friends with some person he thought he'd never met. "Man! I just got slammed with a 105 point word and it's like five letters. Fuck You Queen of Sheba!" He was a child lost in his toys and just happy to take a break from both newfound fatherhood and taking orders.

Harlan sighed and took a seat at this desk. "You're wasting time with that. Happy New Year by the way."

Zander switched over his screen to business. "Happy New Year Sir." He lifted his head and wiped the smile from his face.

"How is the little boy today?"

"He's good. I had this photo in my pocket. I almost forgot I even had it. I gave it to him. He loved it. I think he just needs to see a woman's face. Reminds him of his mom I guess." Zander's puppy dog eyes were a dead giveaway when something was bothering him.

"Is this about Veronica?" Harlan took a cigar out of his case and offered one to Zander.

"No thank you. I appreciate everything that you've done for me but I'm nothing but a liability. I just need to get this last job done for Helena and Little Z-Man and I are out."

"Where will you go?"

Zander sighed. "I haven't figured that out yet I guess. Luckily Helena is giving me some time to regroup and spend a little time with the baby."

"Regrouping means allowing you time to think and talk yourself out of it. You have a big job before you. Killing the prince is no small feat."

"True. In the meantime my goal is to beat Queen of Sheba at Words with Friends." He flipped back to his game and kicked his feet up on Harlan's desk.

* * *

Jason was able to move legs from under the heavy debris but he couldn't stand. He decided to crawl until he felt he was a safe distance from the wreckage to recuperate so he could stand on his own two feet. He lay back down on the ground and stared at the night sky. "I don't pray much so I don't deserve to be talking to you right now but I need the strength to find Brenda and Jax." He rolled over onto his stomach and buried his face in the grass. The silence was deafening until he could hear emergency vehicles in the distance. He lifted his head still seeing nothing more than the stars. He turned back and noticed small balls of fire popping up from the wrecked plane. "Dear God. Please let them be alive."

* * *

Gia, Spinelli, and Johnny all showed up at General Hospital. Johnny tried to hold back his distress not wanting to make Gia uncomfortable considering they had just met but his mood wasn't lost on her. As they rode up in the elevator in silence, Gia noticed Johnny lean his body against the railing barely able to stand. She tapped Spinelli on the shoulder but Spinelli shrugged her away not wanting to break any unspoken bros before hoes oaths by divulging too much of Johnny's past.

They stepped off the elevator with Johnny not wasting any time to pump Robin and Elizabeth for information. Robin could see the determination in Johnny's eyes. "Just wait in the waiting room. She's in stable condition. Patrick is doing all that he can."

"Robin please keep me in the loop."

Robin reached out and hugged Johnny. "I promise I will."

Gia followed a despondent Johnny into the waiting room. "Were you and Lulu close?"

Johnny yanked off his suit coat and tossed it onto the ground. "We dated. I was in love with her. It just didn't work out. She moved on and so did I." He rubbed his tired eyes. "I need to take my mind off of worrying."

Gia pulled her phone from her purse. "I played a 105 point word today on some guy named Z-Man. That's not you is it?" She smiled.

"I can't spell very well." Johnny stared off into space. "I sucked at school. I didn't try very hard. Sometimes I wish I did...maybe Lulu and I would have worked out."

"It's just Scrabble. No pressure. Something to take your mind off of everything. You can cheat."

Johnny pulled his phone from his pocket. "I bet Dante is a mess. Did you see any idea of who might have shot? I heard shots coming from a couple directions?"

Gia slowly shook her head. "We were looking for Mikkos remember?"

"Fuck." Johnny dropped his phone onto the ground and buried his face in his hands. "Forgot about the kid for a minute."

"You seem pretty invested in what happens to Alexis' little boy."

Johnny sat back in his chair. "I know how much she loves that kid and she made a lot of sacrifices for him. I had a thing for Alexis for a minute."

"What kind of thing?"

"I'd go to Greece for business reasons and…" He laughed softly. "Let's just say…things happened."

"You and Alexis had sex?"

Johnny nodded. "It wasn't a big deal. At first I wanted it to be a big deal but I realized that I wasn't the man that Alexis wanted."

"You don't have much luck with women huh?"

Johnny looked at Gia. "No. So consider yourself fairly warned."

* * *

Sonny made it back to the Greystone and soaked in his calm surroundings. He was relieved to be home not suspecting that maybe his shot didn't hit the intended target. After taking a couple deep breaths to gather his thoughts, he was unnerved at the sound of someone in his house. "Who is it?"

Mike flipped on the lights and met Sonny in the lobby. "What the hell happened tonight?"

"I needed to come home before I go and find Alexis."

"Where the hell is Alexis?"

"I don't know Mike." Sonny went into the living room to his bar and poured himself a Scotch. "I needed to come home before I do something I might regret." He sipped his drink.

"Speak in sentences Son."

"A.J. is back and he's got his hands on my daughter."

"What does that mean?"

"Kristina is back to lying to me again. It felt like Courtney." Sonny's eyes teared up. The day that A.J. dug his claws into Courtney sent Sonny on a rampage of almost murdering Jason's brother.

Mike tried to comfort Sonny with a hug but Sonny nudged Mike away. "Let's not go down this road again."

"Mike I have another problem and I don't know how to solve it. I might lose Alexis and I just can't." He wiped his eyes.

"That's why I'm here. What do you need? I'll do anything."

"Anything?"

Mike was almost rendered speechless not knowing what he was agreeing to. "We're family. You're my son. I've failed you way too many times before. Anything."

"No matter what happens that baby Alexis is carrying is mine."

"Alexis is pregnant? I didn't know."

"Are we on the same page Mike?"

Mike nodded. "We are Son."

* * *

Lorenzo left Natasha alone again locked in the cell. He looked back at her holding tight to the bars. "You're not helping Natasha. You've got to take this situation seriously. Your son is missing."

Natasha bit her lip not wanting to say more. "What happens next?"

"In what way?" Lorenzo had to back away from her as he found her to be more than irresistible.

"You and me."

"You're marrying Sonny Corinthos."

"I didn't agree to marry him."

"You seem to be forgetting that sometimes you're one person and other times you're a woman that loves Sonny."

"I have no use for him. Do you remember you and I, as children, horseback riding on the beaches of the Cassadine Islands? My father asked you to bring Natasha back in one piece."

"And I did just that. And I'm going to do the same for Mikkos."

Natasha started to feel faint. She grabbed at her stomach in pain.

"What's wrong?" Lorenzo moved in closer to her cell bars.

Natasha went over to the corner of the cell and sat down on the ground while carefully straightening her dress. "I'm pregnant…and Little One never fails to remind me."

"Natasha, when Kevin gets here, I will see to it that you get out. But to avoid any confrontations with Robert, this is the best place for you."

* * *

Robert was oblivious to all that was going down outside of the tunnels. The last time he was there it was in search of the man that he'd just found out was his son, Robert Frank Scorpio. He felt defeated as he forgot why he was so passionate about storming through the tunnels to find a woman that he knew wanted nothing more than to protect her son.

"Robert!" Sam ran down the tunnel corridors spotting him from afar.

Robert couldn't believe his eyes from the sight of Holly and Ethan trailing behind Sam. "Holly?"

Sam made it to Robert and bent over to catch her breath. "Don't hurt my mother please."

"Calm down Samantha. I'm not going to hurt to your mother. I'm just going to teach her a lesson."

Holly and Ethan both caught up. Holly couldn't resist wrapping her arms around Robert. "I told you we'd ring in the New Year together."

"Is it the New Year?" Ethan asked.

"I lost the concept of time after childbirth." Sam exclaimed. "Speaking of children, where is Mikkosavich?"

"Your grandson is missing?" Holly asked. "What can I do?" She continued to hold Robert tight.

Robert slipped his hands around Holly's waist. "You can use your extra sleuthing skills to help me find him."

"Do the two of you need a room before we do this?" Ethan asked.

The thunderous sound of shoes running filled the tunnels.

"What the fuck is that?" Sam ducked behind Ethan.

Luke stopped running after hearing what sounded like Sam's voice in the distance. "Is that Sam? It's Luke."

"Luke it's Sam!" She moved from Ethan and in the direction of Luke's voice.

"Are you alone?" Luke hid behind a crevice until he could see for sure that it was Sam.

"No Holly, Robert, and Ethan are here!" Sam yelled back.

Luke gave in and crept out from hiding. "English?"

Holly turned to Luke. "Happy New Year. Isn't this appropriate. I have both of you to kiss at midnight."

"Can we not lose sight of what's going on here? My son is missing!" Sam shouted.

"Your son?" Holly asked. "How is Mikkos your son?"

Sam threw up her hands. "I can't even get into the dynamic of how that happened. But after he is found, I am staking my rights as his mother. This is ridiculous. How could my mother just let someone take him?"

"Sam, calm down." Luke sighed before plopping down onto the ground. "I hate to compare problems but I just fucking killed someone." He looked up at the group hovering over him and ready to be doused in their judgment.

"What are you saying Mate?" Robert asked.

"Wait…who did you kill?" Sam asked.

"What the fuck happened Dad?" Ethan sat down next to him.

"Oh now you call him Dad?" Robert rolled his eyes. "Seriously Luke?"

"I shot Stavros. I'm a fucking coward. I just ran. Robert, I need your help. The good Lord upstairs spared me in killing Jake. I don't know that he's gonna help me this time." Luke pulled up to his feet. The tears coveted his eyes. "How the hell did this happen? I ran away so now I look guilty. I'm not doing time for that piece of shit."

"Since when do you care that Stavros dies?" Holly pulled from Robert and went to Luke.

"I just got a bad feeling, English."

* * *

Patrick left the operating room wanting nothing more than to just go home but he couldn't avoid the crowd forming outside of Lulu's operating room. Stefan caught Patrick before he could get far. "Is there something you need to tell me Dr. Drake?"

Laura could barely keep it together sitting outside Lulu's room with hope. She pushed through the crowd to Patrick. "Can I see her?"

Patrick's eyes fell to the ground. "She's going to make it."

Laura clasped her face in relief. "Then why do you seem so solemn?"

Patrick looked ahead at Johnny, Gia, Spinelli, Maxie, and Elizabeth gathering around to hear. "Laura, I think we should talk in private."

Lucky rushed off the elevator. "Bullets came from multiple directions. Dante and Ronnie are searching the premises and keeping an eye on Stavros." He could barely catch his breath. "How is Lulu?"

"She definitely suffered from multiple bullet wounds." Patrick said. "I would still prefer to speak to Laura about this alone."

"As a member of the General Hospital staff, I wish to be a part of this discussion." Stefan said.

Patrick sighed and focused on Laura. "Whatever you wish. We can talk in Stefan's office."

* * *

David showed up at the PCPD still covered in his blood-drenched suit. He buttoned his jacket hoping not to alarm Anna with messy his appearance. But she caught him outside her office. "David, what happened?" She rushed to him and ripped opened his jacket. "Were you shot?"

David shook his head. "No. The young blonde girl. They were calling her Lulu."

Anna slapped her hand to her mouth. "That's Luke and Laura's daughter."

"THE Luke and Laura? She was shot. They helicoptered her to General Hospital. I just got word that she'll survive."

Dread overcame Anna as she thought back to an angered Robert. "Trying to remember if Robert had a gun. He was out of control."

"I didn't see Robert."

Agent Bates went over to David and Anna. "I have a lead. Your grandson is somewhere in Europe. We're going to continue to ping the GPS."

"What do you mean by Europe?" Lorenzo approached them. "That's not narrowing much down."

"As I stated, we're continuously pinging the bug. Keep in mind that it's a simplistic device stored in a stuff animal."

"And I didn't anticipate that it would need to come of use." Anna interjected.

"Natasha is saying that she left him in Greece." Lorenzo continued. "I'm certain he was kidnapped from there. I know the woman that tends to the stables. She would have called us immediately if she found him."

"As soon as his whereabouts are discovered, I will hop on a plane and get Mikkosavich myself." Anna said.

"May I ask a favor?" Lorenzo eyed Anna. "Please take Natasha with you."

Anna groaned. "Not a good idea. Mikkosavich may be my grandson but this is an investigation that should not involve civilians."

Lorenzo grabbed Anna's arm and pulled her aside. "You wanted things to work between you and Alexis and what better opportunity than working together to find Mikkos."

"You're forgetting that it's not Alexis in that cell back there. It's Natasha and she killed my son. He wasn't perfect but he was still my son and I still want her to pay for his murder. As soon as Franco's body is found, I intend to seek justice for his death."


	2. Chapter 2

_**So it seems I made a bit of a mistake in the last chapter. So Mike should have already known that Alexis was pregnant. I hate it when that happens. Ughhhh! The best part of writing is recovery. Mike is senile. **_

**Chapter 2**

Lucy continued to try to make the best of a bad situation in the ballroom but her guest list slowly departed as members of the PCPD gave everyone the ok to file out of the dark castle. Lucy grasped the microphone in her hand determined to make one last speech. "I just want to thank everyone for spending the evening here with us. Happy New Year…." Her voice trailed off as the last person walked out the double doors. She tugged at her hair that was neatly pinned up on her head to let it down in a tired relief that the night was over though it was a total wash.

She just wanted to close the doors and scream at the top of lungs that she was right and Nikolas was wrong. Tossing the mic onto the ground, she bolted over to the doors and almost caught the wing-tipped shoe of King Mikkosavich waiting outside. "Hi. Party's over Sir."

King Mikkosavich forced his way inside and had a glance over of the room still decorated in Nutcracker fare. "Natasha loved The Nutcracker. I took her once."

"Natasha?"

King Mikkosavich glanced at Lucy. "My daughter. What is this? A Bacchanalia?"

"No. It was the HIV and AIDS Nurses' Ball to benefit the Stone Cates wing at General Hospital."

King Mikkosavich furrowed his brow. "HIV…AIDS? What is that?"

Lucy bulked. "What? Are you for real?"

"I was told it's the year 2012?"

"Who are you?"

Dr. Jackson walked in. "He belongs to me. Sorry Mrs. Coe. It's hard to explain."

Lucy looked at Dr. Jackson with horror in her eyes. "Is this who I think it is?"

Dr. Jackson nodded. "It is."

Gallos went into the ballroom. "If you don't mind I need a moment alone with Mikkosavich."

Dr. Jackson took Lucy's hand. She couldn't take her eyes off of King Mikkosavich. "How about I take you to General Hospital and explain everything?" He hurried her out of the room.

"Did you see me earlier?"

Gallos shook his head in disbelief. "I joke that the Cassadines are vampires. I think I'm on to something. Are you one of the shooters of the young girl?"

"I was not aware that a young girl was shot. I was certain it was Stavros."

Gallos moved closer to King Mikkosavich. He'd never dared to get in his father's face before but he felt it the best opportunity to unleash his anger. "That young girl might be your granddaughter. Where did this desire to off Stavros come from all of a sudden?"

"He's a problem. He always has been. What do you mean my granddaughter?"

"You never said anything about him before…Stavros. Even when word spread all over the island that your so-called firstborn son raped his cousin in the caves, you never flinched. You never said a word. You never gave any ounce of sympathy to Natasha or showed any sort of emotion about the situation to the rest of us."

"That's a lie Valentin!"

"It's not a lie Mikkosavich!"

"If you can't call me father than you'll address me by the appropriate title."

Gallos swayed on his heels and struck at his chin. "Father? Now you want respect. I guess I feel this loyalty to Natasha because the both of us were treated like the help. I knew I was your son. She knew that she was your daughter though I know she had doubts, but I never did about my little situation."

"You were always financially secure. You may not have had the title but you were afforded the luxuries that went along with it."

"And funny that I'm the one that's been able to keep the Cassadine name solvent. Not Stavros. Not Stefan. And not even your precious grandson Nikolas. It was me and Lorenzo Alcazar."

* * *

Anna took the keys and strolled back to the holding cells. She found Natasha lying on the floor asleep. She clinked the keys against the cell bars. "Happy New Year." She whispered.

Alexis awakened uncertain of her surroundings. She freaked out believing the worse. "Oh God! I swear I didn't do it!" She shrieked.

Anna quickly unlocked the cell doors and went to Alexis' side. "It's ok. You're free to go."

Alexis was still unsure. She slid her body away from Anna. "What happened?"

"Alexis?'"

Alexis slowly nodded.

"Right." Anna sighed. "I don't know where to begin. Mikkos is missing."

"I'm sorry? Who?"

"Your son Mikkos? He's gone missing but we're doing all we can to find him. And we're getting closer every minute." Anna reached out her hand to Alexis to help her up from the ground. "Come on. We'll go to the interrogation room. Kevin is on the way. He got held up at General Hospital."

* * *

Patrick waited until Laura was settled in a chair at Stefan's desk before he closed the door. Stefan moved to the corner trying to be invisible but deep down inside knowing he was intruding. Patrick tried to learn to get better at humbling himself to the pain of his patients. He kneeled down to Laura not sure of the words to use. "We really won't know the extent of the damage for a couple days. What I mean by that is whether or not Lulu will be up and walking again."

Laura was stunned. "Lulu is paralyzed?" She looked over at Stefan biting at his nails.

"We'll give it a week to see how much, if any, spinal damage was done. But she's still unconscious right now. The other issue is because there were multiple gunshot wounds; there may be too much damage to Lulu's reproductive organs."

"Did you remove anything?' Stefan demanded.

"No." Patrick looked down to the ground. "She may need further surgery if we feel that the damage is causing any internal bleeding." He finally looked in to Laura's eyes. "Do you have any questions?"

Laura was still speechless. "I'm just glad she's alive. I love her no matter happens. I just need her to stay alive. I want to know who did this to her."

Patrick caressed Laura's hand. "And that is goal number one. When she wakes up, she's going to need you to explain all of this to her. She's been out of it the whole time. I'm sure she'll know she was shot but if she wakes up and can't feel her legs or something just feels different, it can be frightening for her."

"I just wish I knew where Luke went to…it's not like him to just take off and not say goodbye."

* * *

Robert hovered over Luke after sending Holly, Ethan, and Sam out of the tunnels so that the two could be alone. "Are you asking me to vouch for you?"

Luke played with his fingers. "I need something Robbie."

"Robbie?" Robert sat down on the dusty ground. "Mate why do you always put me in these sticky situations? I hate Stavros as much as you do. So if anybody asks, I don't know nothing about nothing."

"Do I have your word?"

"Can I have Holly?' Robert offered Luke his pinky.

"You're a bastard."

"You're married to Tracy Quartermaine."

Luke slid down and groaned. "I didn't even get to kiss my sweet at midnight."

Robert chuckled. "We need a plan. If you did in fact murder someone, I can't just let that slide. I'd be a big hypocrite. Here I am chasing Natasha down because of what she did to Franco…"

"Allegedly…"

"Give me a fucking break Luke. I thought we won the war when we stopped King Mikkosavich from freezing the world. And now here I am battling his little girl."

"She ain't so little anymore. Natasha is a beast with the right weapons. Not that I'm on your side with that one. Natasha and I have an understanding."

Robert stood up and dusted off his pants. "Well she clearly ain't here."

* * *

Alexis rested her pounding head on the interrogation table. She tried her hardest to remember the last couple of hours but everything went blank. She could smell warm coffee nearby.

Anna pushed the cup of coffee towards Alexis. "When I got back, I forced Mac to order the good stuff."

Alexis lifted her head. "Thanks. So I'm guessing it's the New Year?"

"Yea." Anna flipped through a file. "The closest we've gotten to finding Mikkos is Europe and, according to Lorenzo, that's not telling us much. He said you…I mean Natasha left the baby in Greece."

Alexis took a sip of the coffee and bugged her eyes at the strength. "Uh the last thing I remember is going up to the ballroom." She grabbed her head. "I kind of remember seeing my father. That's why I asked you which Mikkos you were talking about. I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or not."

Anna leaned on the table. "You saw your father?"

Commotion started to brew outside the interrogation room throwing Alexis off and drawing her attention to outside the door. She could see Sam barreling in her direction. "Sam?" She stood up.

Sam stopped at the door. "What the fuck were you thinking? I know what this is about!"

"What?" Alexis stared at Sam. "What's wrong?"

"You're expecting a baby with a father that you care about so you can't be bothered with caring about Mikkos anymore. Well if you don't want him, I'll take him. He belongs to me anyway!"

Anna jumped up and forced Sam outside the room and closed the door behind her. "Not a good time."

Lorenzo rushed over to Sam and pulled her back. "I'll take you home."

Sam jerked from Lorenzo's grasp. "I don't want to go home. I want to find Mikkos." She started to cry.

"I understand. I want to find him too. But yelling at your mom won't bring him home." Lorenzo tried his best to reason. "The clock is ticking Anna."

Anna sighed. "I realize that."

Robert walked into the PCPD still wearing his tux. "No word on Mikkos?"

Anna pointed behind her. "Alexis is in the interrogation room until Kevin arrives. You should go home Sam."

Lorenzo put his arms around Sam still shaky with anger to escort her out of the station. Robert watched them leave. "Did I miss something?" He asked.

Anna pulled Robert into her office. "Keep this between us. I'm worried we're never going to see him again."

"Let me guess. No ransom request?"

Anna bit at her nails and slowly nodded. "Whoever has Mikkos has every intention of keeping him."

"Are we certain Natasha isn't behind this?"

"Robert…"

"Anna…we have to cover all bases here."

"What would she gain by having her own son kidnapped?"

* * *

Patrick took his time undressing in the locker room. He could hear the faint sound of New Year's celebration in the break room. "Not a good time." He felt warm hands caressing his waist. "That better be my wife."

"It is." Robin smiled. "Happy 2012 for what it's worth."

Patrick grunted and continued to pack his bag. "Can we go home and hug our kid? And thank God that he blessed us with the ability to have a child against all odds."

"We did beat the odds. So what's going to happen to Lulu?"

"Maybe paralysis? Infertility? All I know is whoever pulled the trigger is in for a world of punishment. Stefan is hot about this."

Robin poked her head outside the door for minute. "What's with that?"

"With what?"

"Why is Stefan so invested?"

Patrick shrugged his shoulders. "I wish I knew the logic of anything the Cassadines did."

* * *

Sam waited for Lorenzo to unlock the door of the dark mansion. They could hear Rain's feet clattering against the floor excited for her owners to come home. Lorenzo opened the door for Sam. She gathered his coat around her for warmth. She loved the feeling of his tailored jacket against her skin. "I haven't heard from Jason." She finally gave in to returning his coat to him. "And he didn't call at midnight. He should have been back in time for the Nurses' Ball." She rubbed her forehead as her world was a bundle of confusion.

Lorenzo neatly folded his jacket and laid it across the couch. "Don't always think the worse."

"Not like him to not call." Sam took a fire poker and dug it into the fireplace with Rain nipping at her heels wishing to be acknowledged.

Lorenzo took the poker from her trembling hand. "I'll do this."

Sam watched him prepare the fireplace with a cautious determination in movements. "Are you OCD?"

Lorenzo stopped and looked at Sam. "Where does that come from? Your question?"

"Michael asked me. I don't know why. He seems to be interested in you."

Lorenzo went back to lighting the fireplace. "Michael and I have discussed some things. He can ask me. No need to involve you." He stood up and wiped his hands of the soot.

"It's just you two seem to have bonded in a way I never thought you would. I'm just curious. I noticed…"

"Sam I was raped in prison. Did Jason tell you and you're using Michael as an excuse to ask me?"

Sam's jaw dropped. "Oh God…I didn't know it was that. I'm sorry. I'm an ass. I've been one all night." She slumped down on the couch.

Lorenzo sat down next to her. "How about explaining what you said to your mother at the police station?"

"I'm not taking it back. She's having Sonny's baby and that's all that matters to her right now. Where does that leave you?"

"You needn't worry about me. I survived your husband's murder of me. I will survive this my precious Alexandra."

Sam lifted her head. "You called me Alexandra."

"The first time I met your mother, my English wasn't the best. I was a young boy. And I called her Alexandra which made her furious. She corrected me. My name is Alexis. Little did I know what we know now. Helena was creating a monster of epic proportions. I'm just sad that Natasha fell for it. You can't fall for it either Sam. No matter what happens to your mother and me, you have stay in her corner."

* * *

A.J. took in a breath of fresh air along with the fragrance from Lila's roses. He was glad to be rescued from the seclusion of Wyndemere and back home in the stuffiness of the Quartermaine mansion. He had to take a step outside to learn to breathe again.

Monica tapped his shoulder. "Don't mean to interrupt. Alice has your room ready."

A.J. grinned. "I appreciate it but I'm going to get a room at the Metro Court."

"Well that might not be a good idea considering Carly has no idea that you're alive."

A.J. nodded. "True. I'll accept your offer."

Edward stumbled out into the garden. "You are not going anywhere. Especially with that nut Corinthos making threats."

"Grandfather, it was a joke. I'm not worried about Sonny."

"How soon can I get you up to speed on ELQ? Someone by the name of Valentin is stealing money from ELQ. Ned can't handle this alone."

"Edward!" Monica's voice was stern. "Let him have some peace please."

A.J. laughed and hugged Edward. "I love you Grandfather. I will happily look at the books. But I would like to try to get settled in. I still have to fulfill my promise to Kristina. Nothing will stop me from helping her."

* * *

Kristina went into the living room of the Greystone and found Sonny with drink in hand and staring into space. "You texted me?"

"Yep."

"I think I'm going home and get some sleep. It's been a long night for everyone."

"Your little brother is missing."

"Missing where?" Kristina went over to Sonny.

"Anna and Robert are trying to find him."

"Where is mom? Why aren't you with her?"

Sonny wiped tears from his eyes. "I don't…uh. ..I don't know how to deal with Natasha."

"Is this about her multiple personalities?"

Sonny sipped his drink. "Kevin called and said he was on the way to see her and that he's certain that she's Natasha…"

"Dad…fuck this. Where is my brother?"

Sonny looked at Kristina. "I don't think we're finished talking about A.J. I don't want you anywhere near him anymore. Do you and I have an understanding?"

Luke walked in. "Sonny, can I talk to you?"

Kristina was relieved that Luke saved her. "I'm going to find my mom." She stormed out of the Greystone.

Sonny finally stood up and refilled his drink. "What's up?"

"Do you know what went down at Wyndemere?"

Sonny sighed. "You don't know? Fuck Luke. Lulu was shot. She's in critical condition."

Luke stomped his foot. "Oh God. Not my baby girl."

"Look I'm coming clean to you because you're like a brother to me. But I meant to hit Stavros."

Luke grabbed his hair. His eyes grew wide. "You? You shot Lulu? Wait a damn minute. I thought I shot her."

Sonny put down his glass and leaned on the bar. "You're shitting me."

"What are the fucking chances?" Horror filled Luke's eyes. "Sonny, what the fuck did we do?"

"It wasn't intentional Luke. Just like when we thought you ran over Jake…I was the one that stood up for you to Jason."

"Look I admit things look a lot different when it's your kid that gets hurt. My precious Lulu was almost killed by her own fucking father and his best friend? How the hell am I supposed to face my little girl in intensive care?"

Sonny shook his head in silence and looked to the ground.

"I got no choice Corinthos."

Sonny raised his eyes to Luke. "Don't say it."

"I gotta go Man. I can't stick around for this." Luke turned to leave but Sonny grabbed his arm.

"Luke, you gotta handle things differently. Lulu's not a baby anymore who'll just forgive her father for being absent. She needs you now more than ever. I'll take my part of the blame if you need me to. But I got 99 problems and the woman I love is one."

"What's new? What now?"

"Alexis has DID and she's tweaking out right now."

"What's this DID?" Luke asked.

* * *

Kevin pulled up a chair and sat down across from Alexis. "Alexis?"

Alexis nodded.

"Good. We've established who you are." Kevin continued. "How do you feel?"

"Confused. Everyone's yelling at me and I don't know why. What did I do?"

"Nothing. But Natasha…she's a bit of a troublemaker. Ready for that integration?"

"No. I changed my mind."

Kevin buried his head in his hands. "Why Alexis?"

"How else am I supposed to cope with the fact that I allowed someone to take my son? I can't. I don't even know what to say about this. He's really gone?"

Kevin took Alexis' hands in his. "Yes Alexis. Mikkosavich is gone. But he's got the best team of people looking for him."

Robert sat down on Anna desk. "No ransom request. God you're right Love."

"Can I throw another one at you?" Anna sat down on the desk next to him. "Alexis says she thinks she saw her father."

"Part of DID are delusions…"

"Not when Caesar Faison is hoping to raise the dead. Robert, what if Alexis did really see her father?"

Robert jerked up from the desk. "I'll get Dante and Lucky to search Wyndemere with a fine tooth comb. That fucking ex-husband of yours and his science experiments."

* * *

King Mikkosavich sat down at one of the tables. "Do you want a medal?"

Gallos laughed. "I want the respect. I want to be considered your heir."

"Doesn't matter Son. I'm alive."

"Have you hired a food tester? Dulled Helena's daggers? Bought a bulletproof vest?"

"Speaking of bullets…" King Mikkosavich stood up. "How is this injured young lady my granddaughter?"

"Stefan sired a child with Laura Spencer."

King Mikkosavich frowned. "Stefan is sleeping with the enemy? He's worthless too. Send the girl a bouquet of flowers in my name."

"See." Gallos pointed. "You're cold. You always have been. You're no better than Helena. You won't live long Sir. If you don't get your affairs in order before you die again, we'll rip each other apart until the best Cassadine wins."

* * *

Nikolas wasn't completely ready to give up his posh lifestyle as a prince. He hopped on the private Cassadine jet and ordered that it take him to Manhattan where he hoped to ring in the New Year with any woman of the night that would have him.

"Take me to the London please." He rested his head back on the leather seat of the limo as the driver paced himself in the snowy night. "Haven't seen much snow all winter have we?"

The limo driver looked in the rear-view mirror. "No Sir. Not much. Pardon my French but it's a bitch to travel in."

Nikolas chuckled. "No need to apologize."

"Don't know if you heard, Sir, but there was a terrible plane crash tonight. They say it was fatal."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I saw some commotion at the airport. I figured maybe it was the snow and holiday travel." Nikolas looked out the window and felt alone. He noticed the streets lined with people ringing in the New Year. "I used to love this time of the year. And now it just reminds me of all that I've lost. I can't imagine how that family is feeling to lose someone so tragically."


	3. Chapter 3

**My first two chapters had the same exact word count. Masterful. :)  
**

**Chapter 3**

Helena thought it was safe to return to her lair in the tunnels as all commotion settled down at Wyndemere aside from police presence combing the island. She poked around her desk and slid open her top drawer. Her mouth went agape and for the first time in years she could feel her heart beating in her chest. She tried to remember where she last left her gun. "Am I going crazy?"

King Mikkosavich stood at her door and held up the gun with a gloved hand. "Did you lose something?" He motioned to her to take the gun.

Helena couldn't believe it was him—the only man she ever loved and on whose name every murder or wrong-doing was ever committed. She was oblivious as she took the gun from his hand. "My precious Mikkosavich… Checkmate. I protected my King."

"I'm not amused Helena. I'm just touching the surface of the shitstorm that you've created around here. Why would you allow Valentin to have soo much control? He's running around here thinking he owns the place. And Stavros? That little shit is nothing but the devil incarnate. I sometimes wonder if he's even mine. Stefan bedding a Spencer? This game you're playing with Natasha needs to end. And apparently I'm missing or have almost killed a boatload of grandchildren. Might as well blame you for that too."

Helena rolled her eyes. "Of course…your concern has always been the children first." She placed the gun back in her desk drawer. "The only grandchild you need be concerned about is Prince Nikolas. And he's lost his mind."

"Where is he?"

Helena just wanted to touch Mikkos. She revered him more than God. In her eyes he was God. But she could tell that her preserving of his body wasn't enough to quench his suspicions of her. She rested her hand on his chest to reassure herself that he really was alive. "You don't know how much I've missed you."

"How is possible that the prince is nowhere to be found? He should be guarded at all times." He remained unmoved by her touch prying her hand from his chest.

"Because he is no longer the prince. But you can change that."

He moved away from Helena. "Then I need to know who the heir apparent is?"

Helena sighed. "Always in work mode. I'm sure the doctor would recommend that you get rest."

"I need answers Helena." He sat down at her desk.

"Depends on who you ask. Prince Nikolas and Stefan would argue that your namesake Mikkosavich Alexander is the heir."

* * *

Nikolas got over his party mood as soon as he stepped foot into the hotel lobby still crawling with leftover party guests. He floated through the crowd to the front desk. Feeling around his pockets, he realized he left his wallet behind in his move to free himself from his privileges.

The woman at the front desk appeared. "Happy New Year Sir."

"Ok so I have a problem." Nikolas rested on the desk hoping to make an intimate connection to woo his way into getting a room.

"I'm here to help."

"It seems I just realized that I don't have my wallet. Due to my status, I've been blessed to have my own jet and driver who never question who I am. So I made it all the way here with no ID. I guess what I'm asking is if it's possible that I may get a room under the Crimson tab?"

The woman gazed at Nikolas before looking a down at her computer. "Uh Sir, I am aware of who you are. You've been here before."

Nikolas perked up. "I have. So you can do me this favor? I swear that Jasper Jacks is good for it."

The woman looked at her co-worker who also averted her eyes. "Sir, you must not have heard but the Crimson jet crashed. We don't know details but everyone on the jet stayed here and the police just left after questioning our staff."

Nikolas clutched the desk. "Excuse me? The limo driver told me that the crash was fatal. Who was on that jet? Please tell me you know who was on that jet?" He demanded.

"Sir, let me call your driver and he can take you to the hospital to see your friends."

* * *

Jason opened his eyes to a blur. He could feel a headache overcome his ability to keep them open for long. A sharp pain shot through the vein in his arm.

"It's just pain medication." The nurse finished inserting the IV. "You were pretty banged up." She rubbed his arm hoping to give him some comfort.

Jason moved his head to the side. "Can you call my wife? Her name is Sam."

The nurse picked up the phone. "Of course I can. What is her number?"

Jason rubbed his forehead trying to remember. "This is really bad but I don't know it by heart. Fuck."

"It's ok." She put the phone down. "Your name is Jason Quartermaine correct?"

Jason nodded. "Can you call General Hospital in Port Charles and ask for Dr. Monica Quartermaine. She can find Sam for me. I need to find her. She's worried. I know she is."

"Of course she's worried. Do you have children?"

"Yes. Three. Two boys and a girl." Jason tried to sit up. "Where is Brenda?"

"Brenda Barrett? She's ok. Just in a lot of pain. She's a couple doors down." The nurse forced him back in the bed. "You must rest."

Jason looked up at the nurse. "And Jax? He was the pilot. Is he ok too?"

The nurse lowered her eyes to the ground. "I think it's best that you rest."

Jason grabbed her hand. "Please. He's down the hall too right?"

The nurse shook her head. "No Sir. Mr. Jacks didn't make it. Is there anyone that you suggest we call?"

Jason burst into tears. "God." He slapped his hands on his face. "Carly…she's gonna be devastated. Just don't call anyone right now. I need to call Carly."

* * *

"Goodnight." Lorenzo waved goodbye to Mercedes as she drove off after dropping off Alana. He cradled the sleeping little girl in his arms with Rain trailing him still vying for attention. "You are just love." He ran his finger across Alana's rosy cheeks still cold from the night air. "Let's sit by the fireplace while Mommy gets some rest. Lorenzo turned down the lights with just the Christmas tree shining in the night. He pulled up stool by the fireplace and sat down with Rain poking her nose against Alana's belly. "I love you too Rain." He finally acknowledged the dog with a pat on her head.

Rain settled down at Lorenzo's feet satisfied. Her ears perked up when she heard Sam go down the stairs and straight to the kitchen. Sam flipped on the lights and it became a ritual that she'd gaze at the pool with the backlight reflecting from the water recalling when she found Franco floating dead on the surface. Her nerves struck her as she searched the marble kitchen counter. "Where is Spencer's storybook?" Sam picked up the phone. "Sorry Sonny. I can't find it. Can he go without it tonight? Thanks. I've been better. Haven't heard from Jason. Brenda either. Don't get me started on my mother. I get you have to keep peace and normalcy…when have you ever cared about peace and normalcy?" She hung up the phone and slammed it down on the charger.

The slamming of the phone startled Alana awake but she settled down from Lorenzo's soothing voice. He watched Alana in the greatest admiration not hearing the aggression in Sam's voice or her banging around ready to explode at the drop of a dime. She hurried past the family room to go back up the stairs and noticed Lorenzo with Alana. She couldn't help but force a sense of calm at the thoughts of how far their relationship had progressed. Rain hopped up and darted over to Sam. "We gotta find Jason, Girl." Sam hugged Rain as they both went up the stairs.

* * *

All was quiet at the Greystone. Sonny admitted to himself that he was deathly afraid of Natasha. He constantly called Kevin trying to get some indication of what to expect from her but all of his calls went to voicemail. He hadn't been that afraid since waiting for his stepfather to come home from work. The last thing Sonny wanted was her rejection.

He decided to call it a night and get into bed but he turned on his lamp hoping Alexis would be the one to show up. Instead Molly cracked his door open. "Who is it?"

"It's Molly." Her quiet voice barely carried through the crack of the door.

"You can come in." Sonny sat up in bed and signaled her in.

Molly opened the door with Spencer behind her holding tight to her shirt. "We can't sleep. Can we get in your bed?"

"Sure." Sonny made room for Molly and Spencer.

Molly and Spencer jumped on the bed and bundled themselves under the covers.

"You have black satin sheets." Molly grinned from ear to ear.

Sonny laughed reminded of why he loved his children so much. They made him smile even when he wanted to cry. "I'm not going to tell you what I told your mother when she said that to me."

"Waiting for mom to come home?" Molly asked.

"I hope she does." Sonny cracked a weak smile. "Sorry about the story book Spencer."

"It's ok Uncle Sonny." Spencer got himself situated in between Sonny and Molly and closed his eyes.

* * *

Alexis was finally able to get out of her dress and into her running cloths. The only thing she felt like doing was running but she didn't want to go alone. "Dara…I'm ready to go. Yes. I'm a crazy Bitch for wanting to jog in below zero weather at night."

She waited by the door until the headlights of Dara's sports car gleamed through the lake house windows. Dara got out of the car. "You're lucky my resolution is to lose that Thanksgiving meal."

They ran together at a steady pace able to talk though the start was filled with silence until Dara felt comfortable asking the first question. "Do you need me for anything related to Franco? You know I'm here for you. I was there with you for Luis."

Alexis didn't miss a beat. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine…except when I'm not."

Dara looked down at Alexis' stomach. "What changed your mind about the baby?"

Alexis grabbed her stomach. "You can tell?"

"Only because I know…not because I think you're fat."

"It's going to be harder to lose the baby weight this time isn't it?"

"How would I know that?" Dara laughed. "You look great." She put her arm around Alexis and stopped their jogging. "What's the story on Gallos? He's blowing up my phone."

Alexis caught her breath and wiped the sweat from her brow. "Really? He's handsome. I'd do him."

"Diane is into him. But he's into me." Dara smirked.

Alexis poked Dara in the arm. "Go for it. Max is Diane's soul mate. I'll even help you with that if I can. Anything to take my mind off the disaster of my life."

Dara noticed the ring on Alexis' finger. "You engaged?"

Alexis smiled. "I am. To Sonny."

"You're in love with Sonny?"

"Yes I am. I have been for years. It probably would have worked out had Carly stayed dead."

"Global warming would have been solved if Carly stayed dead." Dara watched Alexis staring off into space. "I know Mikkos is missing. That's why I didn't cuss you out for getting me out of bed. I know you need a friend right now."

Alexis put her arm around Dara. "We didn't start out as friends. But you were right there when I lost Kristina."

"I always respected you Alexis. You're a great attorney. And my heart broke when the judge took Kristina away from you."

"You probably think I'm a shitty mother."

"Shit happens."

"Not when it's your baby." Alexis teared up. "I hope he has his lamb. And whoever has my little lamb is tucking them both in at night."

* * *

Zander put on Mikkos' skis and bundled him up in long johns and a coat before standing him up on the snow. "You're just learning to walk aren't you?"

Mikkos slid his feet in the skis one at a time still cautious about each step. "Down." He buckled his knees to get down and crawl.

"Ok Bud." Zander let go of Mikkos and let him fall to the ground to crawl across the snow.

"Doesn't look like he's much into it." The ski instructor chuckled. "Nothing wrong with starting them early."

Zander watched Mikkos sit down and make snowballs. "Thought maybe it was something we could do together."

"Is he your first child?"

"He is. I got custody of him in the divorce from my wife. She kept us apart."

"I'm sorry to hear. Maybe making snowballs is more his speed."

Zander watched Mikkos stack his snowballs on top of each other. His phone rang in his pocket with Helena's name appearing on the caller ID. "Happy New Year. " He answered.

Helena was able to get away to be alone. "I need you to leave Switzerland immediately."

"Where am I to go? Harlan needs me. Alexander is just getting settled."

"If you want to keep your son, you must leave."

"I don't mean any disrespect Helena but you haven't given me the proper documents to travel with Alexander."

"If I gave you identification, his mother will discover his whereabouts."

Zander grew frustrated. "I'm really curious to know who Elizabeth listed as his father on the birth certificate."

"Why bother yourself with such petty details?"

"You can't get me access to your jet again?"

Helena looked around herself to make sure she was still alone. "I can't assist any longer Zander. You're on your own. You must complete the job…"

"I know!" Zander yelled startling Mikkos. He flashed a smile at the baby for reassurance. "Nikolas…I got it." He hung up the call and slid his phone back in his pocket.

* * *

Nikolas remembered the first time he ran so hard that his lungs wanted to explode. As he sprinted down the corridors of the hospital it reminded him of being a small boy running down the beaches of the Cassadine Islands pretending he was being chased by a wild animal on a hunt. He had an obsession with scaring the horses the same way that the wild animal of his imagination would scare him. He'd climb the nearest tree until the one time he leaped so hard onto the branch that it broke sending him crashing to the ground and snapping the bone in his arm. The pain was both cathartic and agonizing. He rolled around on the ground and wept like a baby until the only mother that he knew, Alexis, picked him up in her arms and rushed him to his bed.

Nikolas ran so fast that he saw nothing in his path but he could hear the crashing of carts and nurses and doctors screaming obscenities asking him to _slow down_ and _watch where you're going_. He had no clue where he was going. He finally stopped at the desk and made eye contact with a nurse who was none too pleased with his terrorizing of the staff.

"Can I help you?" The nurses asked with a touch of sass in her voice.

Sweat poured down Nikolas' face. "Brenda." He could barely catch his breath. "Brenda Barrett….tell me she's alive."

"Are you family?"

Nikolas checked his fingers realizing he never made anything formal. "Fuck…I don't have a ring. She doesn't like diamonds."

"Do you need the mental ward Sir?"

Nikolas stood upright and took a couple of deep breaths. "You haven't told me that she's dead. That's good. I'm her fiancé. I'm Nikolas Cassadine."

The nurse smiled. "Oh yes. From General Hospital in Port Charles. Jason Quartermaine requested that we call General Hospital. Ms. Barrett is in room 203 just down the hall and Mr. Quartermaine is in 205."

"And Jasper Jacks." Nikolas gripped the counter in relief.

The nurse pointed towards the elevator. "In the autopsy room." She started to walk away until Nikolas grabbed her arm.

"Whoa? He's dead? Jasper Jacks is dead?"

The nurse nodded. "My condolences."

Nikolas banged his fist on the desk. He didn't care much for Jax. He never did. But he knew just how much Jax meant to Alexis. "Fuck." He rested his face on the desk and cried. "What am I going to tell her? First Ric and now Jax."

He lifted his head and wiped his eyes noticing the nurse just looking at him without much sympathy. He recalled after Alexis tucked him into bed with his casted arm how she lovingly watched him try to fall asleep. She took a marker and signed her name causing him to question why she signed with Alexis instead of mom. It was in that moment that Alexis came clean with the truth—the truth that caused him to wear his perceived rejection from Laura on his sleeve for years to come.

"Sir? Ms. Barrett is awake."

Nikolas broke from his stupor and straightened his clothes. He turned in the direction of Brenda's room.

Laura was feeling the same anxiety as Nikolas. When she turned the knob of the door to Lulu's room, she didn't know the words to say. Lulu had been her rock for years during her catatonic state. And it was Laura's turn to return the support but she didn't know how. She watched Lulu still unconscious with tubes protruding from her body. "Lesley Lu?" Laura took a seat next to Lulu and smoothed out her daughter's soft hair. She could hear Lulu's breath pouring through the tube in her mouth.

Luke stepped off the elevator on the floor of Lulu's room ready to go in and confess to it all until he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to Stefan whose eyes were bloodshot from both lack of sleep and crying. "What do you want? Hopefully not going to stop me from trying to see my kid."

Stefan shoved his shaky hands into his pockets. "Just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry that Lulu was hurt at Wyndemere. It's partially my fault for not enforcing security."

Luke wasn't beneath soaking in Stefan's misguided mea culpa. "Unless you pulled the trigger, no need for your apology. Don't want to feel like I owe you a damn thing later." He turned towards Lulu's door but he froze. His conscious wouldn't allow him to open the door. "What's Drake saying about her condition?" He kept his eyes focused on the door.

"There's a chance that she'll be paralyzed."

Luke released the knob and gave up on going inside. "I don't deserve to be a father. I told Laura that and she didn't listen. Look at where we are now."

"You needn't blame Laura for wanting to be a mother. That was always your problem. Just because Laura stopped chasing down these enemies you helped create doesn't make her any less special. So what? You killed my father. He wasn't the worst evil in this world."

Luke went to Stefan. "Where is that brother of yours?"

Stefan shrugged. "I'm not my brother's keeper."

* * *

Johnny felt like hell. He didn't realize that what happened to Lulu would touch him so much. He left Gia with Spinelli and went to Kelly's for late night coffee instead of meeting Ethan at the Haunted Star for a drink. He wanted to do things differently than drowning his sorrows in a liquor bottle.

The lights were still on at Kelly's but the door was locked. Johnny remembered that Ethan gave him a spare set of keys to the place in case Mike needed backup. He unlocked the door and slipped inside. "Mike! You here?"

Mike stepped out from the kitchen still dressed in his tuxedo. "Barely."

Johnny pulled up a stool and poked around in the leftover pie on the counter. "This all you got left?"

"Pretty much. I can get you a fresh cup of coffee."

"I'll take what I can get." Johnny pulled at his hair. "Pretty shitty night."

"I need to unload on someone. Can you keep a secret?"

Johnny sipped his coffee. "Depends. Got anything to do with Sonny?"

"Alexis."

"Hit me."

"So she's expecting."

"A baby?"

"No. A kitten. What the hell do you think?"

Johnny's mug almost slipped from his hand. "How far along is she?"

"No clue. But I remember around Mikkos' birthday she was in here. And she would just start crying at the drop of a hat. I knew something was different then."

Johnny stared off in space. "Mikkos' birthday? Jesus Christ." He buried his face in his hands and laughed. "Oh boy."

"Oh boy what?"

Johnny reached over the counter for the coffee carafe. "This is gonna be a long fucking night Gramps."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Mike's eyes grew wide. "Oh shit. You think you're the father?"

"The chances are pretty high."

Mike tossed his towel onto the counter. "So that's what the hell Sonny was saying. He told me that no matter what that baby was his."

"How the hell does he know that it's not?"

Mike threw up his hands. "I'm as clueless as you."

"Listen Mike, if Alexis is having my kid, maybe this is God's way of telling me to get my shit together." He got up from the stool and slapped Mike on the back. "I feel like I just got my second wind. Thank you Mike and Happy New Year."

* * *

"When the bell rings an angel get its wings." Lila Rae was still piping with energy in the wee hours of the New Year's morning. She loved an audience and her newest member was her uncle A.J.

A.J. watched Lila Rae prance around the family room in her ballerina costume. "So your feeling is that if you wear your costume every day that your routine gets better?"

Lila Rae rested her hands on A.J.'s leg. "I feel light on my feet every time I put it on."

"And what is your favorite ballet?"

Lila Rae swung her arms out. "Swan Lake. I do enjoy Chaicovski."

A.J. roared with laughter. "You are my sister's little girl."

"And I love chai tea with a touch of cream and cubed sugar."

"Only cubed sugar?"

"Only cubed sugar." Lila Rae smiled and poked at the hole from her two missing front teeth.

A.J. took her chin in his hand and inspected her mouth. "Did the sugar-plum fairy take your teeth?"

Lila Rae giggled.

Monica went into the family room. "Miss Lila Rae it's past your bedtime."

Lila Rae reached her lips to A.J.'s cheek. "Goodnight Uncle A.J." She ran over to Monica and wrapped her arms around her waist. "I love you Auntie Monica. Tea at noon tomorrow."

"I love you too Doll. And I will be there." Monica watched Lila Rae disappear up the stairs.

"Is something wrong Mom?"

"I have to go to Sam and Jason's. I just got a terrible phone call. Jason was in a plane crash."

A.J. stood up. "Is there something I can do? Is he ok?"

"He's fine. Brenda is too. But Jax didn't make it."

A.J. rested his hands on his hips. "Spencer…poor kid."

"That's why I should go and be with Sam. She's going to have to explain all of this to Spencer."

"And Brenda just lost her son I know. And I know she loved Jax."

Monica nodded realizing the heavy task of breaking the news to Sam.

* * *

Brenda opened her eyes for the first time relieved to see Nikolas hovering over her bed. She lifted her hand to touch her face feeling the bruises and the burns sensitive to her touch. "Can I see a mirror?"

Nikolas sat down. "No."

"What? Why not?"

"You're not that girl anymore remember? The scars will heal in time. Be thankful to be alive."

"I don't feel alive. Do you understand what it felt like the first time I held my son in my arms? He wasn't a baby but he was still my baby. And I loved him with every part of my being. I remember getting on my knees that night beside his bed and just saying a prayer thanking God for another chance with my little one."

"I don't know what that feels like." Nikolas touched one of the bruises on her face. "Or maybe I do." He noticed one of Brenda's arms covered in a cast. "Broken arm?"

"Yes. It hurts…a lot. And I dislocated my hip again. I'm like a walking toothache." She laughed till it pained her.

"But you're still smiling. I broke my arm once. I fell out of a tree. I was five years old. My Uncle and I lived on the island. Alexis had been away to law school and I didn't know that she had returned until I looked up and saw her concerned face staring down at me. I was just so relieved to see her. It was a like an angel appeared before my eyes. The doctor came to my bed and gave me a cast." Nikolas checked the nightstand to her bed. "Do you have a marker?"

"Why?" Brenda asked.

"I want to be the first to sign your cast."

Nikolas dug through the drawer of the stand and pulled out a marker. "What should I write?"

Brenda smiled. "What aren't you telling me? Is Jason ok? What about Jax?"

Nikolas nervously rolled the marker between his hands. "Jax didn't make it Brenda. Jason did. I'm sorry. I know how you loved Jax. I could never compete with Jax. I'm sorry I ever tried."

Brenda rolled over onto her side. She tried her hardest not to cry. "If there ever was a man that brought me back to life, he was it."

* * *

"Can I get you some coffee?" Sam asked hoping to make her mother-in-law comfortable in her home. "You've never been here before have you?"

Monica took a seat at the kitchen table with her eyes wandering to the pool in the back. "Is that where it happened?"

Sam leaned her back against the counter. "Yea. Jason and I plan to cover it up. We think a playground for the kids would be best. Plus…who wants to remember two dead bodies floating in their swimming pool?"

"Do you have tea? Tea sounds wonderful."

"Of course." Sam rummaged through the cabinets.

"Since your tea party with Lila Rae, it's been her favorite thing to do. She's had a tea party with everyone in the mansion except for Skye."

Sam put the kettle on the stove and filled it with water. "Skye's pretty busy I guess. It's funny how we get to a place where we take our children for granted until they're no longer with us."

"I'm not one to throw stones so I keep my mouth shut and make myself available to Lila Rae whenever she needs it."

The teakettle whistled. "Alana loves that sound by the way. I'd be happy to come over more and help with Lila Rae since Alana is getting bigger."

"Sam, Jason was in a terrible plane crash."

Sam reached for the teakettle but stopped herself not knowing her strength. "Is he alright?"

"Yes. I haven't spoken to him but he and Brenda both survived with minor injuries."

Sam touched her hand to her chest and picked up the teakettle. "I knew something was wrong. When can I see him?"

Monica stood up and took the teakettle from Sam's hand. "We should wait until they're both transported to GH later this morning."

Sam turned to Monica. "Them both? Jax was flying the plane. He picked it out. Why did you just say them both? What about Jax?"

Monica pulled Sam into her arms. "Jax didn't make it Honey. He died."

* * *

Alexis waved goodbye to Dara as she drove off into the night. Every part of Alexis' body seemed to ache from the loss of Mikkos. She patted her stomach as she went out to the deck unable to rest. The early morning air was frigid with sprinkles of icy rain starting to brew in the air. Alexis loved the cold breeze nipping at her cheeks. She closed her eyes and inhaled taking in the pine from the nearby trees until she could feel a warm kiss upon her cheek. "Sonny?" She slowly opened her eyes to Sonny standing before her. He looked as if he'd run over quickly since he was wearing his Yale sweatshirt and a pair of sweat pants. "What are you doing here?"

A dimpled smile formed on his face as he bit his lip not sure what words to say to her. "Why do you torture yourself with this cold weather?"

Alexis made room on the swing for him. "Sit. We can freeze together."

Sonny took a seat and slipped his arm across her shoulders. "Don't get mad but Kevin told me that you might be here. I got the kids to sleep. Have you seen Kristina?"

"She called and left me a message. I didn't take her call because she was hysterical and I just can't with that right now."

"Yea. I get it."

"I grew up in a culture where emotions were not tolerated. Anything bad happened was just another ding in your armor. Keep it moving as the kids say nowadays."

"Alexis…I came over here because something bad happened. I got a call from Sam."

Alexis looked Sonny in the eyes. "Jason?"

"Jason and Brenda are ok but Jax didn't make it. They had a bad plane crash and Jax didn't survive."

Alexis stood up and crossed her arms tight around her body. "Oh God." She whimpered.

Sonny embraced Alexis. He loved how she felt in his arms. And he was a bit ashamed of the feelings of fear he felt earlier for Natasha.

"He was my first husband and my best friend." She sobbed. "He was truly the only constant in my life."

"This is one of those situations where all I can really say is I'm so sorry for your loss, Alexis." Sonny pulled from her wishing he could feel the pain that she felt but he knew he'd be lying. There wasn't any love lost between him and Jax. He put his arm around her waist and nudged her to go inside. "Jax would want you to focus on finding Mikkos."

* * *

Johnny ran through the streets light on his feet. He glided across the ice not caring if he was able to keep his balance. He recalled the days of when he barely played it safe living as far on the edge that he could hang. At the end of the thrill, he went home to an empty penthouse. He thought to himself that after one therapy session with Kevin, it all made sense and everything both good and bad happened for a reason.

He made a stop at the park near the sandbox filled with snow and formed a snowball in his hand. "Happy New Year!" He screamed from the top of lungs and tossed his snowball against the slide wishing a youthful lad like himself was on the receiving end just itching to play.

Dropping to his knees, Johnny clasped his hands together in prayer. "So give me a sign that Alexis' baby is really mine. And if it is, I swear to…ok I won't swear…I promise that I won't hide another dead body. I won't smoke another joint. I'm giving up alcohol. And I am recommitting myself to you and to the girl I know I've always loved—Lesley Lu." He formed the sign of the cross in the air. "In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen."


	4. Chapter 4

**_Thank you all so much for the feedback! I really appreciate it. And yes I use it to help guide the story a little. There would be no story without readers so I want to write what you want to read. And believe it or not I can't decide between Sonny nor Lorenzo either. And Poor Johnny. I love that guy. Haha! Italics means that I pulled from either "Alexis the Surrogate" and/or "Cassadine Islands".  
_**

**Chapter 4**

_"You don't have to humor me." Alexis continued to sulk._

_"If you've got something on your mind and you need a neutral ear, I'm here. Lord knows I wish I had someone to talk to about Claudia." Johnny sat down on the floor next to Alexis._

_"I should be in Greece right now."_

_"With the baby?"_

_Alexis nodded. "The reality is I'm a bit afraid of him."_

_Johnny smiled. "He's a little terror already?"_

_"No. He's perfect. Did you know there's a Greek tradition that a mother is to stay with their infant for 40 days confined at home?"_

_"You grew up in Greece?"_

_Alexis relaxed her head on the bookcase. "Yes. My brothers and I…they were the princes and I was the pauper. That's the short version."_

_Johnny was taken aback. "You were treated like a second class citizen? Your father allowed that and you still love him? Why am I surprised? My father treated me the same way. And I'm certain I wiped his ass more than Claudia."_

_"If only I could remember what happened on the island, I'm sure I'd have a wealth of stories. Some of them good. I have good memories of Stefan. He was my protector."_

_Johnny grew curious. "Protector from what?"_

_Alexis took a deep breath. "Stavros."_

Johnny woke up from his dream and felt around grasping his bed sheets. He couldn't remember getting in bed or even stripping himself down to his boxers. "Alexis?" He looked over to his side and realized he was alone. "Was I dreaming?"

Gia didn't get much sleep herself. She pulled out her phone and lounged across Johnny's couch as Spinelli pounded away at his laptop. "Rematch! I beat Z-Man again!"

Spinelli stopped typing and turned back to Gia. "Really? Are you addicted to that game or something? I have a missing kid here and…" His phone vibrated on the desk next to him. "Gracious…what? Fair Samantha? Stone Cold? Was he hurt?" He slapped his hand across his eyes. "Yes. If Darth Alcazar needs me, I will happily be of assistance to Little Miracle." He slammed his phone on the table and shutdown his laptop.

"What's wrong Spinelli?"

Spinelli got up and started to pack his laptop. "Fair Samantha is in distress. Stone Cold and The Divine One were in a plane crash with The Valkyrie's White Knight. I fear The Valkyrie's White Knight is dead."

Johnny found his robe and tied it up as he went down the stairs. "Any luck on Mikkos?" He noticed Spinelli. "What's wrong now?"

Gia threw up her hands. "The Valkyrie's White Knight was killed in a plane crash? I don't know who that is."

"Jax is dead?" Johnny asked.

Spinelli gripped tight to his laptop and dragged his feet getting to the door.

Gia grabbed her purse. "You guys hungry? What about Kelly's? I haven't eaten in a while."

Spinelli made it to the door. "I will be at Wonderland if you need me."

Johnny sighed. "Happy fucking New Year. I think I'm going to head to the hospital to spend some time with Lulu or The Blonde One as Spinelli calls her."

"I'm glad to hear that." Gia smiled. "You were really worried about her."

"You ever break up with someone and wonder why it never worked out? I've been in a couple relationships but rarely did I do the work to make it work. You don't know how much you love someone until they're gone."

"How did you and Lulu break up?"

"She thought I was cheating on her with Maxie. Lulu and I went through a lot. She murdered this guy named Logan and I took the fall for the murder."

"That is love."

"Yea. I just feel like all of these tests mean that we need to stick with it till the end. I can't believe Jax is dead. You want to talk about a couple that's been through some ups and downs, it's Carly and Jax."

"I was there when Jax invested in Carly's nightclub. It seems he tried his hardest for Carly to be independent from Sonny."

Johnny flopped down on his couch. "Sonny has this ability to bleed the autonomy out of a woman."

"You used a big word. You could probably get at least a hundred points for that on Words with Friends." Gia laughed.

* * *

Michael got the news on Jax shortly after Kristina left the penthouse that morning. He wasn't sure how to process it. All he could recall was whether or not he said all he needed to say to Jax. It all hit him like a ton of bricks when he remembered their conversation from Christmas Day and how hopeful Jax seemed. "Josselyn." He broke down into tears at the thought of his little sister losing out on her father. He wiped his eyes. "Morgan too. Spencer…I got a lot to do today." He grabbed his coat and headed out the door.

It had been awhile since Kristina went to the Haunted Star but she knew if she was to find Ethan anywhere, it would be there. She wanted to pat herself on the back for handling the family crisis without drowning her sorrows in a gin and tonic.

Ethan was behind the counter restocking the liquor shelves for a later New Year's bash since the Nurses' Ball took precedence over any other Port Charles soiree. He stopped his stocking just happy to see her face. "Happy New Year…probably not a fair thing to say under the circumstances."

"How is Lulu?" Kristina loved to just watch Ethan move and do whatever he did. He had a swagger about him that she cherished.

"Still critical. Luke is here."

"What does that mean?"

"It means he didn't take off for parts unknown like he tends to do." Ethan leaned on the counter. "Surprised to see you here. Sorry your party got cut short."

"You know about my brother right?"

"Consider yourself matured. Do you remember what you told your mother about your little brother?"

"Yea. Stuff him in my trunk and send him across the lake to Stavros. I regret that. I miss the hell outta that kid."

"And I've missed the hell outta you."

Kristina cracked a smile. "I'm in love with someone else."

Ethan chuckled. "You're a liar."

"What happened to our trip to Greece together? Instead you go to screw around with my mother."

"I'm on your mother's shitlist remember? Ain't much screwing around happening for the two of us anymore. So who's your new man?"

"A.J. Quartermaine." Kristina grinned with pride.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me. I love you Kristina, but you're an idiot."

* * *

Zander had grown to be good under pressure but the addition of Mikkos to his life made his ease of packing up to move on more complicated. When he went into his bedroom, he just wanted to curl up on his bed with his iPad and forget the burdens of responsibility hanging over his head. He had forgotten to ask Helena how much time he had to gather whatever belongings that he owned.

Time eluded Zander. He no longer had a true concept of it. Due to Helena's power of influence, he was unaware of just how much time had passed. In his mind it was only a couple years since the death of his mother, Veronica, and only a couple years since then was the birth of his son.

Harlan loved Veronica and it was only because of his love for her that he took in Zander. And after years of grooming at the hands of Alexis, Harlan approved highly of Zander's refined sense of responsibility and patience. He loved that Zander was a listener that rarely argued about the hundreds of ideas for rebuilding of Harlan's cartel with Faison.

After a full day on the slopes with Mikkos, Zander searched his room trying to figure out what was of value to him the most until he came across a photo album given to him by Harlan on Christmas morning. Some of them were pictures of a young Alexander tossed around like an orphan from family to family throughout much of his life. But there was one picture in particular that he'd focus on wondering the true story behind it.

It was a picture of his mother and a handsome dark-haired man. They looked to be at a party and striking an intimate pose. He didn't recall much about Veronica. She was a typical socialite that didn't seem to care much for being a mother except when it suited her the most. She practically dumped the responsibility of her daughter, Brenda Barrett, at Harlan's doorstep and then eventually Julia's. But all Zander's memories about anything related to Brenda or Veronica were wiped clean by Helena though the photos were starting to fill in some of the blanks.

Zander slipped into memory lane until he noticed Harlan waiting at the door. "Good Evening Sir."

Harlan stepped into Zander's room. "Big meeting coming. Faison is prepared to start negotiations with the Cassadines."

"But that's good right? It's what you wanted."

"As long as I don't have to give up too much." Harlan's eyes fell on the photo album. "Do you have questions Zander? I sometimes get the idea that there are things you wish to ask but you never do in fear of offending me."

Zander slipped the picture from the photo album and handed it to Harlan. "Who is that man in the photo with my mother?"

Harlan grunted and handed the picture back to Zander. "That man's family is an enemy. You need to remember that. It doesn't matter Zander. That man is now dead."

"But what did he do and why is he with my mother?"

"It seems they were a couple of some sort. That man kidnapped your sister, Brenda."

Zander stood up. "So why did he kidnap her? What do you have on this guy? You said he's dead. How? Is his family still a threat?"

Harlan looked around the room hoping for a distraction to deter the conversation. "His name was Luis Alcazar. Anytime you hear that name, be on alert. Never have any dealings of any kind with an Alcazar. Do we have an understanding?"

Zander nodded. "Yea. Sure. "

Harlan started to leave.

"Harlan, do we know why Luis Alcazar kidnapped Brenda? Not that there's a reason for someone to hurt to someone else…"

Harlan pounded his fist against the door frame. "Because he was hoping Brenda would lead him to his long lost son. No more questions about this please." He left the room.

Zander wasn't dumb. He knew to just read between the lines. He put the photo album away and decided to leave it all behind him, but he slipped the picture that struck his curiosity into his pocket.

* * *

When Anna woke up that morning, she wished it was all just a nightmare and the smell of breakfast cooking downstairs was all Franco. She slid out of bed and on the way down the stairs; she knew it wasn't a dream because the painting of Mikkos in his wagon holding Lamby hung on the wall where she laid it. Her breath escaped her as she was reminded that they were gone. Both of her boys were briefly in her life and taken away before she even had a chance.

Robert left the kitchen with a plate of food in each hand. "Morning Love! I did my best. I won't claim that it's good." He watched her walk down the stairs. "How did you rest? Or did you rest?"

When Anna made it to the table, she knew she was too distressed to bother to keep anything down but Robert making any attempt to cook meant she should at least try. "I just remember having a good cry and reading Spencer's storybook before falling asleep." She shoved a fork full of eggs into her mouth. "I can't do this Robert."

Robert pulled up a chair next to her. "I know."

"Where is Franco's body? I want to know what happened to him. How did he die? How did she kill him? And what if Helena has Mikkos and she's doing to him what she did to our son. What if the next time we see Mikkos again is in prison for murder?"

"Anna that won't happen. We will find Mikkos and he will be ok."

"But you know this isn't good."

"That's the hard part of being an agent. We know too much. No ransom request is not a good sign."

Anna wrapped her arms around her stomach. "I remember giving birth to Franco and to Robin. And I left that hospital with one baby. I decided that I had to put all my love and care into my little girl. So the best thing to do was to pretend she wasn't mine. No child is safe around me."

"It isn't your fault Anna."

Anna shoved the plate away. "I can't consolidate my feelings of anger towards Natasha and my feelings of aggravation for what Alexis is going through right now. "

There was a knock on the cottage door until the guard opened it. "Dr. Hayward is here to see Agent Devane."

Robert groaned. "Let him in."

David walked in. "So the latest on the shooting at Wyndemere…"

"If you're here to tell me that Stavros is dead, don't expect me to shed a tear." Robert approached David.

David eyed Robert. "You're clearly behind on the news. Stavros left untouched. Lulu Spencer was shot."

Robert looked down at Anna who decided to continue eating her breakfast. "Shit. Do we know details of the shooting? I was in the tunnels when it happened."

Anna tossed her napkin onto the table and got up. "The only person known to have a deadly weapon was Luke Spencer."

"Spencer was with me." Robert interjected.

"In the tunnels?" Anna asked.

"He was. And Holly, Ethan, and Sam. We can all vouch for his whereabouts."

"Three bullets punctured Lulu's stomach and her spinal column." David said.

Anna sighed. "Jesus. How bad is she?"

"Patrick is doing all he can."

Robert looked down remembering the promise he kept to Luke. "I'm going to head to Wyndemere and see what I can dig up over there."

* * *

Ms. Landsbury waited for Stefan to come down for his morning breakfast. She noticed he wasn't up as early as usual so she continued to dust the same vase over and over hoping to catch him before he could go to his study. She finally got her wish when Stefan emerged refreshed from a night at the hospital. "Mr. Cassadine? You have a visitor in your office." She smiled.

Stefan rubbed at his unshaven face. "I did not authorize visitors. Send…."

"Him."

"Send him away." Stefan picked up the newspaper on the table and turned to the story reporting on the shooting. "If I may share a thought Ms. Landsbury?"

"You may Sir."

He glanced at her hoping she would understand his need for secrecy. "I believe Luke Spencer shot Lulu."

"And you intend…"

"To do nothing."

Ms. Landsbury's eyes grew wide. "Excuse me? Change of heart for Mr. Spencer?"

"I will make Mr. Spencer suffer in other ways. But I don't enjoy an opponent rotting away in prison. Will you send my guest away?"

"I can't Sir." She clutched her hands in front of her. "I am his faithful servant. I only take orders from him now."

Stefan tossed the paper onto the table. He spun around towards his office. "It's impossible."

"Everything seems possible when you're a Cassadine." She caressed his shoulders. "He still looks like he did before he died."

Stefan balled up his fists not sure what to do with his hands. He took his time walking to his office. When he got there he paused to knock on the closed door as if the room wasn't his own.

"You may come in."

Stefan dropped his hand to his side. He loved the sound of his father's boisterous voice. He turned the knob barely lifting his head to look at the man sitting in his chair.

"Close the door. I don't want interruptions." Mikkosavich stood up to greet his humbled son. "How dare you keep me waiting. Ms. Landsbury said she's been ringing you all morning."

Stefan finally lifted his head. "It's really you."

"You of all people are shocked? How many times have you played dead? I have a meeting coming up involving some important business affairs and I'm told you're the son I should see."

Stefan stood at attention also remembering that his father was rarely the sentimental type. "Yes Sir. I can get you up to speed on the Cassadine Industries affairs."

Mikkosavich sat on the desk. "I would like the prince to join me in my travels. Where is he?"

Stefan bit his lip not sure how to break the news to his father. "I don't know if that would be feasible…"

"In what capacity? I realize I'm not being properly informed. So Nikolas is no longer the prince. Fine. Tell me who is?"

"Prince Nikolas has turned over his responsibilities to Mikkosavich Alexander."

"And where is he?"

"Not here."

Mikkosavich moved closer to Stefan. "He was kidnapped. And why aren't you looking for him?"

Stefan looked down. "I don't have an answer."

"You're busy with the enemy. I guess this means that Natasha will need to accompany me on this trip. You were to do a simple task. You were to raise Nikolas as the heir and now he's nothing more than a heartsick fool. I've spent the morning catching up on my gossip columns and his face is plastered all over them. I'm not pleased. You failed Nikolas and you failed me."

Stefan agreed. "You are correct Sir. I can never forgive myself for being an inadequate guardian for Nikolas. I failed to be there when he needed me the most."

* * *

Nikolas ran into Sam getting off the elevator. She fell into his arms. "I just saw Jason. He's resting. He and Brenda are going to be ok."

Sam pulled from Nikolas. "Can you do me a favor? I know you don't plan to stick around but I need you to help find Mikkos. Please. I feel like if anyone can find him, it's you."

"I can't make any promises Sam. I can't stay here. I will die if I stay here."

"You're not leaving Brenda. I won't let you. She needs you more now than ever."

Michael got off the elevator and ran into Nikolas and Sam. "Is Jax's body here?"

Nikolas shook his head. "Not yet."

Michael hugged Sam. "I hear Jason is ok."

"Just a little banged up." Nikolas said. "He's freaking out about telling Carly."

"That's my Jason. Worried about everyone but himself. I need to go see him." Sam rushed away.

"I'm sorry about Lulu."

Nikolas was oblivious. "What about Lulu?"

"You didn't know she was shot?"

Nikolas punched the elevator buttons. "No!"

Johnny waited outside the door of Lulu's room hoping to get in. He observed Dante at the nurses' station talking to Elizabeth. He started to rethink his optimism of reconciliation and decided to make a clean break.

Dante was irritated with being kept out of Lulu's room. "I can't believe Patrick is saying no to visitors. She needs us right now."

"He has his reasons Dante." Elizabeth went back to her computer.

"How are things at your house since Lucky is pretty distracted right now?"

"I'm just glad we got through Christmas without Jake. But I have a problem."

Dante leaned in to her. "I'm here."

"Since Alexis gave Cam that watch, he's been asking me a lot of questions about Zander. Would it be bad if I took it from him?"

"Yea. It would. If there's one thing I wish was that my mother told me about Sonny sooner."

"But he's dead. My son's life is filled with dead people. Jake and Alec and now he's fixated on Zander. He doesn't even know Zander. They never met."

"That's a tough one. Do you have good memories of Zander?"

"Of course."

"Maybe you and Alexis can sit him down and talk to him. Just don't avoid the discussion all together."

Elizabeth made sure the coast was clear of prying ears. "Alexis is little…how should I say this…"

"Occupied with being multiple people?"

"You know about that?" Elizabeth whispered.

"Due to the case, I am aware. And my father is on a ride of his life with this one."

* * *

Sonny decided he'd do his best to refocus and prepare for another meeting with the families. It was his best way to cope with everything going on with Alexis. Just as he sat down at his desk, Milo walked in.

"Boss. Johnny Zacharra wants to see you."

Sonny tossed his pen onto his desk. "Johnny is not to show up at my house for any reason."

Johnny walked in. "You don't have an office anymore. Remember? Where am I supposed to meet you?"

"What the fuck do you want?"

Milo ducked out and closed the door.

"I come in peace. I want to talk about the baby." Johnny knew he was digging a knife that he'd been wilding at Sonny for years.

Sonny sat up in his chair. "What baby?"

"The baby Alexis is carrying might be mine." Johnny leered.

Sonny jumped up from his seat. "You and Alexis had sex?"

"No my sperm cosmically shot across the room and impregnated her. What do you think?" Johnny yelled at Sonny with an immature boyish front.

All Sonny could see was red. "When the hell did this happen?"

"In Greece."

"This is bullshit Johnny. As God is my witness, you need to stay out of it."

"Why you getting so angry Sonny? Maybe the baby is yours."

Sonny's heart pounded in chest. He thought he would hyperventilate but he knew better than to show Johnny his weakness. He grabbed Johnny up by his collar and shoved him towards the door. "Stay away from Alexis!"

"You won't consider joint custody?"

Sonny went to his bar and grabbed a glass tossing it in Johnny's direction as Johnny flung the doors open and ran out before the shards of glass could hit him.

Johnny barely acknowledged Alexis drive up the driveway. When she got out of her car, she noticed him take off in his with his tires screeching down the lane. Max stood at the door ready to open it for her. "Sorry Ms. Davis. You came at a bad time."

Alexis ignored Max's warning and walked in feeling the glass crumbling under her shoes. Milo went over to her with a broom. "What happened here?" She asked.

Milo continued sweeping learning to keep his mouth shut.

Alexis went into the room and found Sonny having a drink. "What's with the glass?"

"You slept with Johnny Zacharra. Why?" He looked at her.

"Huh?" Alexis was perplexed. "I didn't sleep with him."

"Oh fuck." Sonny slammed his glass on the bar and poured it full to the brim with Scotch. "Let me try this again. In Greece, you slept with Johnny. Yes?"

Alexis shook her head. "No…" She paused. "Maybe…"

"Who else?"

"Sonny that's not fair. I could ask you the same question. You and I were not together."

"What do you mean we weren't together? We were totally together."

"We were not together. We had sex in an elevator…"

"And at Wyndemere…multiple times if I may add." Sonny tossed back his drink down his throat almost chocking from the anger.

"Why are you so fucking angry about this?"

"Because that jackass just got in my face talking about joint custody and shit."

"God..." Alexis paced. "I'm sorry. I will talk to him. He's just pushing your buttons. There is no doubt in my mind that this baby is yours."

"The baby's not mine." Sonny whispered.

Alexis looked out the door and noticed Milo stop his sweeping to listen. He quickly closed the doors. "How do you know?"

"I want this to work. But I can't have Johnny fucking with me. If Johnny is the father, we got a problem Alexis."

"How do you know?"

"I don't want to talk about it. Not like you wouldn't find out eventually. I was ok with it all until he showed up. Hate that kid." Sonny went back to his desk and focused on his papers.

"Can I introduce you to the man that I know and love?" Alexis flashed her dimpled smile.

Sonny looked up at from his papers. "Is this a joke?"

"His name is Michael J Corinthos, Jr. and he did the sweetest thing. Jason didn't like it very much but I thought it was honorable."

"What did he do?" Sonny grinned.

"He went to Diane and asked if he could adopt Mikkos. When I was pregnant with Mikkos, he used to make me this really disgusting soup and he brought me my favorite lunches from Kelly's. When deep down inside we all knew that Franco was Mikkos' father, he still decorated that nursery up there with so much love and care. He told Molly that no matter what, he was her father and she was just as much his little girl as Kristina. Though he offered her Scotch as well. But he never blinked an eye in any of those situations. I miss that man. That's the man that I plan to marry."

Sonny sat back in his chair. "Have you called Carol? I can't stand that woman but she knows how to plan a wedding." He smiled.

"Will you come with me to see Jax? Michael J Corinthos, Jr. would do it."

Sonny's smile dissipated. "You're very convincing counselor. But I can't do that. I can't pretend that I give a damn that Jax is dead."

* * *

Ethan and Kristina argued like a married couple all the way to Kelly's where Gia caught Ethan's eye. She waited at the counter still obsessed with her WWF game on her phone.

"Miss Gia Campbell." Ethan shouted.

Mike stepped out from the kitchen. "I didn't know you were out here. I need a damn bell."

Kristina felt that feeling she typically felt in the presence of adults where she'd shrink into extinction. She knew of Gia Campbell from the fashion magazines that she couldn't put down. And she admired Gia but she'd never admit it to her face.

"Hey Mike." Gia put her phone away. "Is it appropriate to say Happy New Year?"

Mike reached over and kissed Gia's cheek. "From you I'll accept it. How's the old neighborhood?"

"Hey Grandpa!" Kristina pulled up a stool next to Gia.

Mike kissed Kristina. "I got a pie in the oven."

Ethan went behind the counter next to Mike. "No word on Mikkos?"

"Poor little guy." Mike said. "Between him, and Lulu, and now Jax."

"I wonder what'll happen at Crimson." Gia said.

"That should be the least of our concern." Kristina said.

Gia looked over at Kristina. "Wait. Are you Alexis' little Kristina?"

"I'm not little anymore."

"This all reminds me of a really poignant moment that to this day sends chills up my spine. I remember when the judge ripped custody of Kristina from Alexis. I was in the courtroom that day. It was after murder charges against Alexis were dropped."

"What murder charges?" Kristina asked.

"The murder of Luis Alcazar. You were a newborn baby and as cute as a button. Zander Smith and I were sitting in the courtroom together. The Q's were there. Jax was there. Alexis' doctor, Cameron Lewis was there. Dara was Alexis' attorney. Scotty Baldwin was opposing counsel. Even he seemed devastated. The whole situation was heartbreaking. She begged the judge to allow her a moment to say goodbye to you. And Alexis called you her little angel."

"It was just like that? The judge just took Kristina away?" Ethan asked.

"Yep. I couldn't believe it." Gia nodded. "Ned got custody. The judge said that Alexis was unstable due to her DID diagnosis."

Kristina slipped down from the stool. "I gotta go." She hurried out of her Kelly's.

"Did I say too much? Did Kristina not know all of that?"

Mike looked at Ethan. "She's aware of the murder."

"Wait." Ethan said. "Alexis has DID?"

"She faked it." Gia said.

"That's up for debate." Mike said.

Ethan pondered for a moment. "But it would explain a hell of a lot…at least to me."

* * *

_Mikkos stirred in his crib and finally opened his eyes. He smiled and pointed up at Alexis. She picked him up and held him close. "Your big sister was born a preemie. I went into labor in the snow and guess who refused to take me to the hospital? Mr. Luis Alcazar—not to be confused with the one that adores you. No worries. I made it to the hospital and there she came—my girl. But I couldn't hold her because she was fragile and they needed to fix her damaged heart. That's why she's so dramatic because her entrance into this world was filled with such suspense that it kept us apart."_

_Mikkos nodded as if he understood._

_"It was Christmas Eve many moons ago and I went to see her in her little incubator. My friend Cameron asked the nurses if it was ok for me to hold her. And they said yes. It was the first time that I could remember holding a newborn baby. She was covered in pink—pink blankie and pink hat. And her little cheeks were just so rosy that I could put them in Lila's garden."_

_Alexis admired Mikkos in his too little Lamby footy pajamas that he'd grown to love. She ruffled his dark curls that crowned his soft face and accentuated his long eyelashes and his cobalt blue eyes that Alexis thought he inherited from Jason. She learned to pretend that his dark features were not of Franco but of Nikolas as a young boy. It was the best coping strategy she could come up._

_Alexis noticed the clock on Mikkos' wall was close to striking midnight. Like little Cameron, she didn't want to let him go. "So you're going to be a big brother."_

_"No. No." Mikkos rested his head on her chest._

_"Yes. Yes." Alexis grew weary. "I cannot believe I'm going to go through this all over again. That damn Brenda should be an attorney. She made some convincing arguments in little Baby Davis part V's favor. But I won't give her all the credit. I just couldn't imagine my life without each and every one of you in it. You just do not know how much I miss my precious Zander or Kristina or your Grandma and your Grandpa."_

Mikkos was heavy on Alexis' mind as she rode up the elevator of GH. She hated that hospital with a passion but not for the same reasons that were obvious to others. Anything that could possibly go wrong in her life happened at GH. When she got off, she spotted Dr. Lee from afar and wanted to avoid her but they locked eyes.

"When is your next appointment Ms. Davis?"

Alexis went to Dr. Lee. "Didn't Dr. Jackson fax over my records?"

"He did but we need to get on a more frequent schedule. You're at a high-risk age group for pregnancy."

"What does that mean?"

"We just want to make sure the baby is healthy. No pressure." Dr. Lee grabbed Alexis' hand detecting her anxiety. "We'll set something up when you're ready. I'm sorry about your loss of Mr. Jacks. His body just arrived."

Alexis released Dr. Lee's hand and continued down the hall with a new worry bouncing around in her head. She realized she hadn't been the most careful since she discovered that she was pregnant even committing murder in her fragile state.

"Alexis?"

She turned to Robin. "Yes?"

"Are you ok? I know about Jax. His body…"

"Just arrived. I know." Alexis held tight to her purse needing someone or something to lean on. "I don't think I'm ready. I thought I was."

"Sam is here too. Jason and Brenda are ok. Brenda has a broken arm. Do you know about Lulu?"

"What about Lulu?" Alexis shook her head and fell into a trance.

"She was shot."

Tears formed in Alexis' eyes. "Where is Stefan?"

"I believe he went home. He was here all night."

Alexis headed back to the elevator. She couldn't take her mind off of Stefan and everything that he meant to her even when the twosome weren't on one accord.

_"Let's talk about you Stefan. I take offense to your desire to run my personal life as you used to do. Is this how it's going to be again? I've agreed to represent the family's affairs but involvement in the House of Cassadine stops there. I won't get my children sucked into a deadly game of aristocracy. All I want is my mother's diamond necklace back which I know Helena stole."_

_"You're a liar." Stefan stood up. "But I have always admired your ability to toe the line of being a Cassadine. You've hid well behind the Davidovitch name and even stripped it of its Russian heritage. That's your right, but you need me just as much as I need you."_

_"If being a Cassadine is so wonderful then why won't you claim your own child and force her to endure what the rest of us have to suffer?"_

_Lorenzo pulled from the door startled. He quickly pressed his ear back on it to not miss a thing._

_"Excuse me?" Stefan was thrown for a loop as he crossed his arms._

_"You don't think I know. You're allowed to protect your spawn from Helena but the rest of us have to suffer. You want to send me to Kevin so I can remember every lurid detail about my life, but you fail to realize the other details that I will remember."_

_Stefan's face fell. "Why don't you tell me what it is you're talking about Alexis? You know I like to be evenly yoked in flurries of accusations."_

_Alexis sat down in the chair knowing she had him where she wanted him. "I was at Sam's baby shower and one of the gifts that she received was the golden Faberge egg that belonged to our family's collection. It was given to Sam by Lulu. I remember the day that Nikolas asked your permission to give Lulu the egg. I was against it." She stood up and got in his face. "But you were adamant that Lulu have it. We argued about it."_

_Stefan laughed. "That proves nothing Alexis. Not a damn thing."_

_Alexis dug her finger into Stefan's chest. "You better fess up Stefan or this ain't a partnership. What I want to know is why you'd allow Lulu to be raised as a Spencer by the man that killed our father?"_

_Stefan remained tight-lipped._

_"You know what makes me angry?" Alexis asked. "The many times you took that lie to your grave. All I ever wanted was for my brother, my protector, to be happy. I watched you with little Lesley Lu when she'd come to Wyndemere with Laura. I saw the tea parties and the gifts. You adored Lulu and you said nothing, because you know being a Cassadine is a curse."_

_Stefan hung his head. "As your protector, I failed. I failed many times. And I will fail many times more. I will be happy if Laura can be helped with Kevin's guidance, but I'll be happier to know that if I died again today, my sister Natasha would feel the security and love that she never felt in Helena's care. So our wants and desires are mutual."_


	5. Chapter 5

_**In case you're wondering why I reference the old series; sometimes it's character flashbacks. And other times, I do it because I do not have the memory of an elephant. So it's good to refresh the memory. Italics from "Cassadine Islands".**_

**Chapter 5**

Alexis couldn't get to Spoon Island fast enough to save Stefan from the tongue lashing he had to endure from their father. The roads were still icy and she kept in the back of her mind that she needed to be careful. Snow poured down in her sight. She gripped the wheel and drove steady hoping not to slip out of control. She noticed a familiar car slipping and sliding in her direction which made her nervous enough to stop and pull over to the side of the road.

Her cell phone vibrated in her purse. She looked over and noticed Kristina's name pop up on the caller ID. "I just can't right now." Alexis felt bad about avoiding her daughter's calls knowing Kristina was still in a delicate state. She dug through her purse until she could hear a tap on her window and Robert glaring at her through the glass. Alexis rolled down her window. "Happy New Year."

"You shouldn't be on this road. The snow is getting heavy. Where you headed?" Robert bent over to see her face to face.

"The launch."

"Me too. You can get in my car and we can go together."

Alexis wanted to decline the invitation but Dr. Lee's warnings made her uneasy about her already inferior driving skills. And her determination at the moment was to get to Stefan as she felt he was the only thing about her life that she could fix. She snatched up her purse and opened her car door. "Sure. I'll take you up on the ride to the launch."

* * *

Ned couldn't leave Brenda's bedside. He credited himself with knowing that something was wrong when he frantically called the Manhattan hotel in search of her. He caressed her hand in his thanking God that the connection with the woman that he called his sister hadn't been broken. Ned watched Brenda resting.

Lois walked into the room and handed Ned a cup of coffee. She blew on the steam forming above her hot tea and pulled up a chair next to Ned. "My priorities are all wrong. I'm a terrible friend."

"Why do you think that?"

"Before I went to the cafeteria, I went downstairs to see Jax's body. The last time we spoke was at Alec's funeral. Before that it had been years."

Ned put his coffee down on the nightstand and continued to focus on Brenda. "All of this makes me want to tell my grandfather to take ELQ and shove it up Jr.'s ass."

Lois rubbed Ned's back. "You love working for your grandfather."

"No I don't." Ned shook his head. "I barely knew Alec. Jax and I lost touch. He was my best friend and we just lost touch. I can't explain it any more than that."

* * *

Jason loved the feeling of opening his eyes to the beauty of his wife lying next to him. He was in reverie until he turned his head to Sam waiting for him to wake up from his rest. He opened his eyes graced by her kiss. "Thank God I'm not dreaming anymore."

Sam snuggled up to Jason in his hospital bed. "I don't even want to know what happened. You're alive. That's all that matters."

Jason held her inhaling the smell of her hair. "Does Carly know about Jax?"

"I doubt it." Sam lifted her head. "And you're not going anywhere. I want to ensure that you're ok."

"I agree. But I want to ensure that Brenda and Carly are both good."

"Ned and Lois are with Brenda." Sam buried her face in his chest. "What do you think happened with the plane?"

"I should tell you something."

Sam raised her head again. "What?"

"I work for the government. I can't get into details but I fear that I might be a target. I'm only telling you because it's imperative that I get you and the kids more security."

Johnny walked into Jason's room. "Is this a bad time?"

Sam got out of the bed. "Why are you here? He needs to rest."

"I'm trying to get in to see Lulu. She was shot."

Sam's jaw dropped. "Oh my God. Is Nikolas with her?"

"I passed him on the way up."

Sam looked at Jason. He sat up in his bed and gave her an approving nod. "I'll come back." She left the room.

"What's up?" Jason asked.

"I need someone to talk to. I need someone that really gets being a rock in a hard place. And you're my guy."

* * *

Agent Bates ran into Anna's office catching her before she could put her coat away. "Switzerland! Your grandson is in Switzerland."

Anna practically jumped out of her skin. "Ok. This is good."

"I'll round up agents and get him."

"No!" Anna held out her hands stopping him in his tracks. "No. I want to go myself. I want to look his kidnapper in the face and ask him why he'd do such a thing."

"Anna…what is it that you once said to Robert? Leave the personal shit out of this. We need to get in there and grab the kid. Leave the rest well enough alone."

"Whoever this is wants Mikkos and I need to know for the future what the threats are to my grandson's life."

"Then I will coordinate with local authorities as your backup. It will be difficult since we're dealing with neutral territory."

Anna grabbed at her neck. "And don't be alarmed but we'll need to prepare for Alexis to go along with me."

Agent Bates took a seat. "What changed your mind?"

"Something could go terribly wrong. I could get there…"

"You fear Mikkos could be dead."

Anna sat on her desk and kicked her feet across the floor. "I have to cover all the bases. If he is dead, I want his mother to have the opportunity to say goodbye. I didn't get that chance and I probably never will."

* * *

Lorenzo checked his watch before knocking on the Quartermaine's door. Before his knuckles could meet the door, Alice flung it open with a cheesy grin across her face. "Mr. Alcazar. You couldn't have come at a better time. Miss Lila Rae is disappointed."

Lorenzo stepped inside. "What's the problem? I'm here to see Skye if that's possible?"

"Skye is on the way to GH after she heard about Mr. Jacks. Miss Lila Rae's tea was at noon and Dr. Quartermaine was called to the hospital leaving the little one heartbroken. Do you have time for afternoon tea?"

Lorenzo was about to politely decline until he saw the saddened little girl with her auburn ringlets and wearing her plum, sequined ballerina costume while dragging her feet through the corridor. She kept her eyes averted to the ground as she slipped past Lorenzo and towards the stairs. Lorenzo's heart fell into his stomach. "Of course I have time."

Lila Rae started up the stairs getting on her hands and knees to crawl upwards.

"Miss Lila Rae. Where are you going?" Lorenzo moved to the bottom of the stairs.

Lila Rae stopped her crawling and plopped down on the stair. "My first high tea of the year and it's already a bust. I sent out invitations and everything."

Lorenzo slipped his hands in his pockets searching. "I don't think I got an invitation."

"I don't remember your name and I don't know where you live to send it to you."

Lorenzo glanced at Alice.

"I'm going to set up tea for two." Alice hurried to the rose garden.

Lorenzo wasn't one to mince words but he knew divulging all to a little girl the age of seven could be overwhelming but the selfish side of him took hold. "Lila Rae there are some things that I think you and I should discuss over tea."

"Like what?" She perked up.

"Like who I am and who you are to me. We should just take the opportunity to catch up while your mother is distracted."

* * *

Michael got out of his car in the driveway of the Jacks mansion to quiet. The snow sprinkled down. He decided to take a stroll around the back through his mother's garden with all her flowers dead from the cold. He crept to the back and spotted a young man sitting on the swing without a coat dressed in army fatigues. "Morgan?"

Morgan looked up at Michael. "Hey Bro." He hopped up and wrapped his arms around Michael.

Michael rubbed Morgan's shaven head. "Do you know?"

Morgan cried. "I do. Mom went to GH." He pulled away from Michael and quickly wiped away tears. "Josselyn is inside with Mercedes. What the hell happened to him?"

"Plane crash." Michael took a seat on the swing and patted the space next to him for Morgan to sit. "Were you allowed to come home?"

Morgan took a seat. "I don't want to be home. I kind of enjoy military school. I feel safe. There's a lot to do. I have a good sense of where I'm going."

"So you know what you wanna do?"

"I'm definitely joining the military after high school. I have no desire to touch anything that has to do with Sonny. I have to do what Jax wanted. What about you? We kind of lost touch. I never took it personally. Just figured you were busy."

Michael rocked the swing back and forth. "You have no idea. Dad will be really disappointed in you. You can't come at him with this same hatred that Jax had for him. It's got nothing to do with you. Dad is who he is. I admit he pissed me off too but not about what you think."

"Care to share."

"Let's just say he rolled up on someone that I really care about. I'm a fool to believe she felt the same about me."

Morgan snickered. "So it's a woman?"

Michael's flushed red and couldn't look Morgan in the eyes. "Alexis Davis."

"Why is that so weird?"

Michael looked at Morgan with an incredulous expression. "Really? You don't think me having a thing for Alexis Davis is weird?"

"Not at all. Ms. Davis is cool. Not to bust your bubble but the chances of her being attracted to you are pretty slim."

"You're right. She and Dad are getting married."

Morgan frowned. "He's a serial marrier…if that's even a word." He slipped his arm across Michael's shoulder. "For you, I'm glad to be home. I can't remember the last time we talked about girls."

"I don't think we ever talked about girls." Michael smiled.

"This is probably a good opportunity for me to tell you that I think…well I'm pretty sure I'm gay."

* * *

Johnny pulled up a chair next to Jason's bed. "I was expecting you to throw me out of your room. I don't mean to barge in here like I own the place. But you and I have had a relationship of understanding despite being on opposite sides."

"I think I need you. But go on…"

Johnny raised his brow. "I started therapy just recently. Between my father being gone and Claudia being dead, I feel like I got no one that I can depend on for anything. It's a lonely world out there and my lifestyle has never accommodated any sense of community so to speak. Do you remember when you and I were both in Greece at the same time? I asked you for advice?"

"Yea. You wanted to know if you should take Sonny up on being his right hand man."

"Well some other things happened."

"Like what?" Jason pulled off his covers and swung his legs around to the side of the bed to stretch.

"I kind of started a fling with Alexis."

Jason buried his face in his hands. "You're kidding me."

"No. Look it all started at your wedding. I think Alexis had this impression that I was into Kristina but I never was. She's a sweet kid but that's all she is…she's not my type. Maybe I got mommy issues or something. We had a connection. We both have daddy issues too. And I loved that she needed me for something. You know what it's like to be needed."

Jason bit at his fingers. "Where are you going with this?"

"I know she's pregnant."

"God Johnny." Jason stood up and limped across the room. "This is really complicated and I can't get involved."

"I just needed you to listen. Because I know you get it."

Jason nodded. "Yea. I get it. And my advice to you is that you should move on. For your own sake."

"Have you ever moved on?"

"I did. When I walked in on Sonny fucking Carly with me bleeding with a gunshot wound pierced through my body, I made the decision then to move on."

"I didn't realize that you loved Carly."

"I did. And I still do but not in the way that I love Sam. But Carly will always be special to me. I realized she couldn't be who she was and neither could I if the two of us were together."

"How do you know that? How do you know that Sam is it?"

"When your plane is about plunge into the abyss and the face you see when you wake up is the person you love, then you know that you made the right decision. Sam's face was the last that I saw before we went down and the first I saw afterwards."

Johnny stood up and stretched his hand out to Jason. "What do you need from me?"

Jason averted his eyes to the door. "I need you to help me protect Sam and my children. I need your unyielding loyalty. You won't believe it but I trust you more than anyone right now. And you know the business inside and out."

* * *

Ms. Landsbury opened the door to Alexis and Robert. "Ms. Davis any word on Prince Mikkosavich?"

Alexis walked inside. "Since when did he gain a title?" She looked around trying to recall her last time there. "Robert is with me."

Ms. Landsbury opened the door wider for Robert to go inside. "Good day Mr. Scorpio?"

"Good day Ms. Landsbury." Robert went to Alexis. "Do I have permission to search the premises?"

Alexis took a deep breath. "I guess."

Robert bowed and continued down the hall.

Ms. Landsbury tapped Alexis on the arm. "Are you aware of your father's return?"

"It wasn't just a dream huh?"

"It was not."

"When I left the PCPD, the office handed me a box of my things."

"You were in jail?"

"I was. Anyway, in the box were the sapphire and diamond necklaces. I knew then that he was real."

"He's been in the office of Stefan for hours. I don't know that you'd want Mr. Scorpio to have access."

Alexis watched Robert disappear in the shadow of the hall past Stefan's office. "My aim is to protect Stefan."

"Then why did you bring Mr. Scorpio here?"

"I need to protect Stefan from our father." Alexis walked down the hall to Stefan's office and knocked on the door. "Stefan it's Alexis."

The doorknob turned with the door creeping open. Alexis grabbed it and pushed herself inside the room with Stefan and King Mikkosavich. She could tell the conversation was intense with Mikkosavich sitting at Stefan's desk brooding and Stefan reclaiming his spot still standing before him while afraid to sit down.

"What's going on here?" Alexis asked.

"Natasha, you came at a good time." Mikkosavich stood.

"My name is Alexis. And I would like you address me as such."

Stefan glanced at Alexis.

Mikkosavich smiled. "If you wish. Any word on the prince?"

"The last I heard was that Nikolas is at GH with Brenda Barrett."

"Nikolas is no longer the prince." Mikkosavich spoke through his teeth annoyed with the run around. He focused back on Stefan. "How is she not aware of the chain of command? What games are being played around here with the throne?"

Alexis looked over at Stefan completely dejected with signs of sorrow still in his eyes. "I apologize. I forgot." She returned her attention to Mikkosavich. "Stefan and I haven't had the chance to fully discuss…" She ground her teeth. "Fully discuss Prince Mikkosavich's role in the family. It's all new to little Mikkosavich and new to me."

Stefan exhaled and remained silent.

"I can only imagine considering how difficult his loss has been to you."

"It's more than difficult. But Cassadines don't or aren't allowed to show weakness of any kind. I will find my son."

"You will." Mikkosavich reached in to Alexis and kissed her face. "Otherwise, I am glad to return. I've had words with your brother Valentin."

Alexis raised her head in shock. "My what? My brother?"

"We haven't had the chance to talk about this Alexis." Stefan spoke quietly.

"If I may, Sir, I'd like to speak to Stefan alone."

Mikkosavich headed for the wall. "Does this entrance still work?"

Stefan nodded.

Mikkosavich flipped the switch under the desk. The walls opened to the tunnels. He descended into the darkness. Alexis waited until she could see the crack in the wall seal shut. She breathed a sigh of relief and embraced Stefan. "I can only imagine everything he said to you."

"Our father has a way of making me feel less than a child."

"You should be with Lulu."

Stefan buried his tearful face in Alexis' neck and cried. "I'm so sorry. I was wrong. I have been all along."

Alexis pried Stefan from her body. "I'm not thrilled with what you did. But I couldn't stand by and let him abuse you the way he used to do when we were kids."

"I put you in a difficult position all because I wanted the power. I never thought he'd come back."

"Who is Valentin?"

"Gallos. And he's known. He's always known that he was a Cassadine. Do we trust him?"

"I can't be involved in this. I placated our father to get him off your back but I cannot put my son in the middle of a family war. Helena will devour him the same way she's done with Nikolas. He's a shell of himself."

"There's a meeting in Switzerland that Father needs to attend and he needs the prince to escort him. He specifically asked for Natasha. What are the chances of us finding her?"

"Is the rest of my life going to be about transforming who I am to please him? I've done that already with countless men in my life. I'm getting too old for this."

"But Natasha is who you are. You're just afraid to be her."

"Natasha is heartless. She doesn't care who she steps on or who she hurts to get her way. And she's put all of her children in danger. I can't let her inhabit my psyche any longer than necessary." Alexis could feel her phone vibrating in her purse. She answered it. "Anna have you heard anything?"

Anna closed the door to her office before talking. "Are you available to take a trip with me to Switzerland? I'm told Mikkos might be there."

"Might?" Alexis looked at Stefan. "I don't know if I want to go on a might."

"It's the best we're going to get right now."

"Fine." Alexis hung up the call. "Father's meeting is in Switzerland? Apparently that's where Mikkos may be. Anna wants me to go with her. Who is Father meeting do you know? What are the chances this is a setup for ransom?"

"It's not. And what I tell you must not leave this room Alexis. It's a meeting to fully takeover and divide up ELQ between Cassadine and Barrett Industries."

Alexis squinted her eyes. "Barrett Industries? Who's running Barrett Industries now?"

"Julia Barrett. Who else?" Stefan sat down at his desk.

Alexis shook her. "No. Julia's a figure head. She's merely showing up posturing at yacht parties. Gallos can speak to that fact. He's the male version of her. There is no way she's fully running that company. Get me back the Ice Princess and I will find you Natasha. If we're stepping into a trap, I want to be fully prepared."

* * *

Lorenzo took Lila Rae's hand and walked her out to the porch that overlooked the rose garden. "You look lovely today. Purple brings out the emerald in your eyes." He pulled out the tiny chair for her and made sure she was settled at their table garnished with tea and finger foods. He carefully took a seat across and noticed that Lila Rae was still a bit sullen. "I know I'm not your first choice as a guest."

"You'll do. At least you're handsome."

Lorenzo smoothed out his beard. "I think the ladies would prefer it if I shave a little. What do you think?"

"Keep it." Lila Rae perked up with a smile. "It makes you more mysterious."

"Speaking of mystery, you understand that Sam is your big sister right?"

Lila Rae picked up a sandwich and nibbled on it. "Uh huh…that's what they tell me."

"Well Sam is my daughter. Do you ever ask your mother about your father?"

"Nope." Lila Rae swallowed the rest of her sandwich and wiped her hands clean. "Momma said that he's in hell but she later said that he's in purgatory. I don't know what that means exactly but she said that like in Monopoly sometimes you get a get out of jail free card and you can leave hell and go to purgatory where it's not as hot."

Lorenzo stared at Lila Rae a bit mortified.

"And she said that purgatory is like a waiting room at the dentist." Lila Rae poked her finger in her mouth. "See…the tooth fairy gave me a lot of money for my two front teeth."

Lorenzo laughed realizing he was staring into the eyes of a confused little girl. "Your mother told you those things because she was angry. And she had every right to be angry. I wasn't very clear with your mother on what our life was meant to be."

"You told lies." Lila Rae sipped her tea and crossed her legs. "Men lie all the time. That's what Auntie Tracy told me."

"You should stop listening to all of the women in your life or you'll be doomed." He reached his hands out to Lila Rae.

She put down her tea cup and climbed up on Lorenzo's lap. "Just spit it out. You're my dad aren't you?'

"How did you guess?"

"Because Natasha told me."

"She did?" He played with one of her ringlets that struck his eye. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"Because Natasha said that men are only good for begging their women. I wanted you to beg."

Lorenzo squeezed Lila Rae and showered her rosy cheeks with kisses. "And you definitely should not listen to Natasha."

* * *

Michael shot up from the swing. "Is this some kind of joke?" He turned to Morgan. "You're seriously gay?"

Morgan relaxed his body and swayed in the cold air. "I am."

"You're too young to know something like that."

"I'll be in high school next year. If you'd kept in touch maybe you'd get me a little more than you do."

"Maybe it's 'cause you're surrounded by dudes all day."

Morgan stood up. "Not true. The girl's school is next door. Our separation doesn't exist in the evenings and weekends. While some of the guys bust out the double doors to chase skirts, I have no desire to do so with them."

"Are you out?"

"No. But the guys are suspicious. I don't have many friends except for the guys that I share an unspoken rule with. Don't ask…don't tell. Nobody picks on me or anything."

"How do you know that you're gay Morgan? !" Michael shouted. "This is ridiculous! You're just trying to get attention. Or you're acting out because Jax is dead. It's not a good time for this. Dad won't like it."

"I don't care if he likes it. He's not my dad anymore. My dad is dead. I thought I could come out to you and you'd understand…but I guess I was wrong."

* * *

Robert made his way through the tunnels hoping that he'd find something—anything to help his friend. He noticed a light shine in the distance from what looked like a room. The light led him to Helena's lair. He was in a world of a discovery. "What is this place?"

The bungalow was a stark contrast to the unfinished hole of the tunnels. He touched the shining swords on the wall and flipped through papers lying on her desk. Nothing looked of importance to him. He leaned over the desk and pulled open the top drawer. "What is this Ms. Cassadine? A gun?" Robert grabbed the silk throw from the couch and used it to pick up the gun. He wrapped it up in silk holding it close to him as if it was a fragile child in his arms.

Robert hurried from the room under King Mikkosavich's watchful eye. He remained tucked away in a crevice of the tunnels until he knew the coast was clear of Robert's sight.

Stefan hung up the phone and got up from his desk. "You've always had my loyalty Alexis."

Alexis put down her purse on the chair and picked up one of the magazines with a disheveled Nikolas splashed across the main tabloid. "They're aware of Nikolas' cocaine habit. Could be part of his problem."

"Always thinking of Nikolas and me before your own self."

"I walked into the Great Room one day and found Nikolas snorting cocaine with Gallos." Alexis slammed the magazine onto the desk. "Gallos or Valetin obviously doesn't have his nephew's best interest at heart. He doesn't care about Nikolas or you or me. So as far as I can see, he's an enemy just as much as Stavros."

"I wouldn't go that far Alexis."

"I don't like this! I don't like not knowing who to trust in my own fucking family. And that's why Natasha is the way she is. Attack first and ask questions last. Problem is she'll murder you all. That's how she rolls. You really want that?"

"The Ice Princess is being shipped back to Port Charles at your request. I know Natasha has a heart somewhere in there. Alexis is a façade. She always has been."

* * *

Sam passed Johnny on her way back into Jason's room. She found him settling back into bed. "Did you get up?"

"Did you see Lulu?"

Sam crawled back into Jason's bed next to him. "No. Patrick is not allowing anyone but Laura to see her. Nikolas is hot about it."

"What do you think about Johnny?"

"I don't have an opinion of him."

"You and the kids are going to need to get used to him. You're gonna be seeing him a lot more because I just hired him."

_Alexis heard the serene sounds of music playing in her bedroom. She opened her French doors to Johnny sitting behind her piano._

_"You have a piano in your bedroom?" He asked. "Who's twinkling your ivories on this thing?"_

_"I think you're the first." Alexis leaned on the piano. "Play one of my mother's operas."_

_Johnny blinked. "That's a tall order." He slid from behind the piano and noticed a collection of tape recordings organized on her shelf. "I play from memory if you'll allow me to listen?" He pulled a tape from the shelf and held up it for her permission._

_Alexis had a brief attack of anxiety not having touched her mother's recordings in years. Listening to them pulled so much out of her to exhaustion that she stopped the sentimental ritual. "Sure. Or. What about something else? How about "I Wonder as I Wander"? My mother used to sing that to me at Christmas time. She would sing me to sleep."_

_Johnny could tell Alexis was avoiding so he carefully put the tape back on the shelf. "I can do that." He sat back down at the piano and lightly twinkled the keys. "Updates. Spinelli is ready to raid another ELQ account. I brought the details so there's no paper trail. Ned filed a police report about the Jakarta account and they suspect Cassadines are involved so expect a call from Robert Scorpio soon. But what I know you care most about is Franco is still in a coma. What the hell put him in a coma we don't know. It's obvious to me that Stavros probably drugged him." He stopped playing. "What's next boss…aside from keeping Ethan, Spinelli, and Michael out of prison?"_

_Alexis sat down at the piano next to Johnny. "I've got to get in to see Franco. I need him to wake up. He's no use to me in a coma. Will you continue to keep watch?"_

_"It's why you pay me the big bucks." Johnny continued to play at Alexis' nudging instruction. "Sonny offered me a job as his number two."_

_Alexis got up and lay down on her bed. She just wanted to get lost in Johnny's musical prowess. "You taking it?"_

_"Don't know."_

_"Jason is here if you want his opinion." She rested her head on her pillow._

_Johnny stopped playing._

_"Don't stop." Alexis begged. "I wish I could clone you." She cuddled up on her bed and closed her eyes._

_Johnny banged on the keys. "I think I want out. More than anything I just miss my family. As messed up as they all were, they were my family. I want kids and a wife. I'm happy for Jason and Sam. It took years for them to get to this point." He stopped playing again and noticed Alexis had fallen asleep._

_Jason placed Mikkos back in his crib. If Jason ever wanted for a normal family it was then. The thought of leaving Mikkos behind weighed heavy on his heart. He had never been much of a spiritual person, but he closed his eyes and said a silent prayer for Mikkos' safety until they would see each other again._

_"I'm going to have to talk your mother into giraffes." He whispered to Mikkos. "Not to try to influence you but sheep? All they do is grazing. I guess giraffes are the same, but they have long necks so they tower over everyone. They can see danger far far miles away. They gotta warn the sheep." He realized he was rambling. He grabbed his bag from the ground and left the nursery to Andreas standing at his post._

_"I'll keep better watch over Ms. Cassadine, Mr. Morgan." Andreas reassured Jason._

_Jason waved goodbye to Andreas and spotted Johnny in his direction. "What are you doing here?"_

_"Business."_

_The two of them walked through the halls._

_Johnny continued. "Sonny asked me to fill your vacancy."_

_Jason shook his head. "You're not asking my advice are you?"_

_"Kind of."_

_"I can't be responsible for your decision." Jason said._

_A black car pulled up to the carport in front of the villa._

_"That's for me." Jason pointed to the car. "You know I have always respected you. I realized your father was a loon. And business is business. That being said, taking that job is you sacrificing the rest of your life. I'm not even officially out, but when I am, it's going to be a whole new world for me. No guards. No endless supply of funds. But my family will always be vulnerable. You really never can get out."_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Lulu was able to open her eyes. She felt nothing. Not even the pain that she felt when she went down into a pool of her own blood. When she turned her head to the side, she could see her mother still shaken and holding vigil by her bed. Lulu reached her hand to her mouth and tapped at the tube obstructing her ability to speak.

Laura got up from her chair. "I'll get Patrick. He told me to tell him when you woke up." Before Laura could go out of the room, Patrick walked in. "She's awake."

"There's a whole room full of people waiting to see you." Patrick sat down on Lulu's bed. "I'll have Epiphany remove the tube so she can speak. We're no longer concerned about her ability to breathe on her own which is progress."

"Will she need more surgery?"

"That's the next phase. Once Epiphany removes the tube, we can gauge if there's any paralysis." Patrick hovered over Lulu. "I hope you know that I'm doing everything I can to fix you." He took Lulu's hand in his.

Lulu slowly moved her head with understanding. She tried her hardest to squeeze Patrick's hand but her strength was weak.

"It's ok." Patrick released her hand. He turned to Laura. "I'd prefer just you and Luke. There are way too many drama queens out there with their I'm sorrys. You know how it is."

Laura agreed. "I haven't seen Luke."

"He was here. It seems he decided against coming in."

"He always pretends like he's the big bad wolf when he's just as delicate as anyone when it comes to this kind of thing."

Patrick kissed Laura's cheek. "Stay as long as you need." He left the room to Nikolas waiting outside. "You can't go in."

Nikolas approached Patrick. "Why? She's my sister. My uncle runs this hospital. I can pull every donation if I need to and move Lulu and Brenda someplace else."

Patrick rolled his eyes. "I'm the best surgeon around. Lulu isn't going to get better care anywhere else. So stop your posturing Nikolas."

Nikolas backed away from Patrick. "Can I at least know what's going on?"

"Remember when you were shot in the throat? You couldn't speak. You had people in and out of your room trying to tell you how you should feel. Remember that? I wasn't there but Robin told me what it was like for you."

Nikolas looked down. "Yea. I didn't want anyone to see me that way. I felt helpless. I couldn't speak. I was so fucking angry."

"Lulu may be paralyzed. If I knew she was going to get up out of that bed in the next couple days and be the same Lulu that walked up to the doors of Wyndemere, I'd say fine. But she may not be. She might leave out of here in a wheelchair. You know what it's like to take something for granted and lose it beyond your control. I'm trying to prepare Lulu for the worst."

* * *

Kevin lay on his desk and stared up at his office ceiling wondering if maybe Johnny was right about the speckles that formed above him in Roschart fashion.

"Doc." Lucy went into Kevin's office and shut the door finding him lying across his office desk. She rested her hand on his chest. "I'm not sleeping well. Can I get a session?"

Kevin looked at Lucy. "Our sessions are reserved for bedtime. My schedule is stacked enough." He sat up on his desk and rubbed at his stiff back. "King Mikkosavich is alive. Natasha is fucked now." He hopped down.

Michael busted into Kevin's office. "I need to see you now!"

"Uh… learn to knock."

"Can I get some attention here please? My Jax is dead." Lucy cried and buried her face into Kevin's chest. "Like I need to talk about this." She lifted her head.

"Michael what's your issue?" Kevin hugged Lucy.

"It's my brother. How young is too young to determine if you're gay?"

"Jesus." Lucy gave up and stomped away. "I'll see you at home." She slammed Kevin's door.

"Who is your brother?"

Michael plopped down on the couch. "Morgan. He's been away at military school. He was adopted by Jax. But he's Sonny's son biologically."

"Oh great. I can hear Sonny now. I'm not going to even say the words that I know will come out of his mouth over this one. Michael I can't begin to influence your thoughts on this topic. But you must be supportive of whatever your brother is going through whether you agree with him or not."

"I can't support that lifestyle."

"I can't support you being a rape victim."

Michael cut his eyes at Kevin.

"I can't support you loving older women." Kevin sat down on his desk. "There are countless things about you that you can't change that I can't support."

Michael swallowed hard. "I think it's more about knowing how my dad is gonna react. He's not gonna like this."

"So it's easier to be on your dad's side in condemning your brother?"

"I guess."

"Sonny seems like an understanding man."

Michael lay back on the couch. "Ha! He's got you fooled."

"How did he handle you being raped?"

"Better than I expected actually." Michael stared at the ceiling. "Maybe having a gay brother won't be so bad."

"I take it you didn't react well?"

"You are correct. I screamed at him. He screamed at me and stormed off. Don't know where he went."

"Hopefully not to kill himself."

Michael glanced at Kevin and noticed his expression was void of any emotion. He sat back up. "I'd die if something like that happened."

"Words hurt Michael. Remember that."

* * *

Morgan made his way to Kelly's and bumped into Kristina also heading inside. Kristina did a double take not having seen Morgan in at least a year. She took her hand rubbed his buzzed head as he stood almost taller than her.

"Are you home for good?"

Morgan smiled. "I don't know. I'm not getting off to a good start."

Kristina took Morgan by the hand and pulled him inside. "What's wrong…other than Jax dying?"

Morgan shrugged and chose a table in the far corner of Kelly's away from being easily noticed at the door.

"Don't you wanna say hello to Grandpa?" Kristina took a seat across from him.

"I just wanna be invisible right now. I felt like Jax was the only one that really gave a shit about me." Morgan lowered his eyes to the table hoping that Kristina would pull out of him what was wrong.

"I love you."

"Let's be real." Morgan lifted his head. "You never called me nor wrote when I left. I could have gone to war and been subjected to your tears after I'm blown up by a mine."

Kristina slumped down in her chair. "You're right. I've been in my own world. I've had a lot going on and I forgot about you."

A.J. walked into Kelly's and noticed Kristina and Morgan tucked away at the table in the corner. He walked over to them and pulled up a chair. "May I?"

"Sure." Kristina perked up not having seen A.J. since the night of the Nurses' Ball. "A.J. this is my brother Morgan."

"Wow Morgan. You've grown up as well." A.J. rested his hand on Kristina's shoulder. "How you been?"

"Stressed." Kristina said. "My mother is officially ignoring me. She's not answering nor returning my calls."

"She and Jax were close. Cut her some slack." Morgan sat back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"I'm at the Q's mansion if you need anything." A shadow of a figure floated over A.J. He looked up at Mike. "Hey Mike." He jumped up from his chair and made sure there was distance between them.

"I don't have a problem with you being here. I don't own this place, but I'd prefer you leave my grandchildren alone." Mike sat down in the chair turning his back to A.J.

"Nice to see you again Mike." A.J. flashed Kristina a wink and backed out of Kelly's.

"That guy's a snake! Always has been and always will be." Mike grumbled.

* * *

Lucy went to Brenda's hospital room hoping to find solace with someone that loved Jax as much as she did. She found Brenda awake and poking at the cast on her arm. "Want me to get the girls here to bedazzle that for you?"

Brenda laughed. "How is Lulu?"

"Still waiting." Lucy sat down in the chair next to Brenda's bed. "How did you and Jax end it?"

Brenda blushed. "In bed…"

Lucy's eyes widen. "What? I thought you were with Nikolas?"

"I just had a lapse in judgment. I had too much to drink and it just happened. I don't regret it at all. I care about Nikolas but I don't think he's ready to be a family man. Jason is ready. Like he has grown so much since I've known him. He could not stop talking about missing Sam and his kids."

"Maybe he knew something bad was going to happen. Do you have any clue what happened?"

Brenda fell into a daze. "All I know is Jax was smiling when we got on that plane. He loved to fly and sail. He loved movement of any kind whether it was air or water."

Carly hurried into Brenda's room. "I just saw Jax's body." She touched her chest barely able to catch her breath. "This happened before but he didn't die. He survived."

Lucy got up and put her arms around Carly. "We're in total disbelief too. But we have to be here for each other. Jax meant so much to all of us."

Carly sat down on the edge of Brenda's bed still stunned by the loss. "Did he say anything before he died? Can you tell me blow by blow what happened?"

Brenda looked to Lucy for guidance. "He couldn't wait to get home to ring in the New Year with Josselyn. She was all he ever talked about. I just told Lucy that Jason, Jax, and I got on the plane. Everything seemed normal. I was a little surprised that we were released for flight due to the visibility but Jax didn't seem to be afraid to fly or anything."

* * *

The shine of the unfading crystal found its place back at Wyndemere in what Nikolas joked was the Throne Room. The mysteriousness of the room set off the intensity of the coveted Ice Princess. Helena made her way to the tunnels and through a secret door into the Throne Room just wanting to break through the secure glass to get her hands on the Princess diamond. She kneeled down to the glass to get an eye-level glimpse of the diamond that wielded her so much power.

A spark of light peeped through the door. "I'm glad to see you." Alexis walked in closing the door behind her. "I bet you didn't expect to hear those words come out of my mouth."

Helena ignored Alexis still captivated by the diamond. She tapped the glass with her finger. "I'm surprised Stefan had this returned. I don't doubt that Scorpio will try to get his hands on it."

Alexis went to the case and stared at the diamond. "Where is Stavros? Are you hiding him again? I guess you're aware that Mikkosavich is back."

Helena stood up. "That's King Mikkosavich to you."

"Does he really have any power?"

"Is that the only way you'll give a damn about your own father? If he has power? You are all worthless. Every last one of you. I've loved him when he was winning and when he was losing. And I can guarantee he will win again."

Alexis yawned. "Another Spencerdine War? I don't know if you've been keeping score but Luke is one of my good friends. I don't intend to spear him in the back with the dagger. Luke was there for me when Stavros almost killed me."

"Your loyalties won't get you far Alexis."

"I wanted to see you to ask what you could do to get the programming to stick. Is it possible?"

Helena pawed at her diamond earring. "You expect me to give up my secrets after you killed my pet project just to spite me."

"I didn't kill anyone." Alexis stated with defiance.

"I created you Alexis."

"I know." Alexis went to the cabinet and opened the double doors. She rummaged through the drawers until she pulled out a key. "I don't remember much about being a little girl. According to Kevin, I took all of the abuse that you and Stavros dumped on me and pushed it away to protect Natasha. She'd been through so much already."

Helena scowled at Alexis. "Is this supposed to be a therapy session? What is that key?"

Alexis held up the key. "To the case. I'm guessing you want access to the Ice Princess?"

"I don't need it. My victims are already enslaved. What is it you want from me, Alexis? Is this room bugged? Are you collecting information for the Scorpios to have me arrested?"

"My son is missing…"

"Oh pooh." Helena flung her hand in the air. "You expect a river? A child you chose to keep from both of its fathers and you expect sympathy." She took a seat on the throne chair. "You are unbelievable even though I love when you beg. Reminds of when I had you doing my dirty work to convince Stefan that Katherine was his sister Natasha. I had the power then and I have the power now. Keep your key and the diamond. I'd rather keep my secrets. They'll go with me the day that I die."

"You won't tell me because you know that Natasha will take you down. That's why I want her back. I don't usually condone revenge but every moment that I miss with my son makes me angry enough to want to turn to Natasha for guidance."

Helena slipped from the chair. "Good luck. You'll have to channel Natasha without my help."

"I don't know Helena. I have a feeling you're going to need Alexis one of these days. For what I can't imagine right now. But you will need her and I'll have to decide whether or not I give enough of a shit to take your call."

* * *

Jason woke up to Sam sitting in the corner reading a book. "What you reading?"

Sam slammed her book closed. "The Bible. It was in the drawer of your nightstand. I started reading the Bible when I realized that something was wrong. It's bad that we turn to God only when we need something."

Jason sat up on his bed. "But I'm here. And I'm fine. I know you cared about Jax."

"Is it bad that I'm relieved that Spencer barely knew him?"

"I had the same thought."

Sam got up from her chair and slipped back into Jason's bed.

"So what else are you worried about? Johnny told me he'd go over to Wonderland and check on Spinelli and Alana." Jason smiled. "And I cannot wait to get out of here and spend time with Mikkos. Is he back from Greece?"

Sam's heart stopped. She got out of the bed. "Uh…there's a problem with that?"

"With Mikkos? Is he ok? I'm guessing the trip might've freaked him out a little. He's getting at that age where I doubt his tolerance level for traveling is still there. I think we should talk to Alexis about curbing the trips to Greece…at least until we find out why that plane went down."

Sam focused on the ground. "Jason…I don't know where Mikkos is." Her voice cracked.

Jason leaped out of bed. "Is this some kind of joke?" He rushed for the door into the lobby.

"Jason!" Sam ran out after. "You can't leave."

Jason continued to the elevator in nothing more than his tee-shirt, sweatpants, and bare feet. Robin ran to him before him could leave.

"Jason, you can't leave." Robin nudged him in his chest.

Jason went around Robin and stepped into the elevator slamming on the buttons before Sam could get to him.

Sam went to Robin. "Are you kidding me? He can't leave."

"Nothing we can do to stop him. You know how Jason is. What made him upset?"

Sam sighed. "I told him Mikkos is missing."

* * *

Stefan left Wyndemere in route to the Haunted Star wielding the only power he felt he had left after being emasculated by his father. Part of him couldn't believe the man that he revered had returned and the other part of him was disappointed in himself for ever doubting his father. When he walked into the lobby of the Haunted Star, he was quickly reminded of its history and the fact that it once belonged to the Cassadines before it was handed over to Luke & Laura as a wedding present for saving the world. The thought made Stefan bitter. He walked down the creaky stairs and found Luke in his usual spot behind the bar with a drink in his hand.

"Count Vlad…what can I pour for you? Cyanide? How you dare you trespass in my home when I'm banned from yours?" Luke bitterly sucked on the ice of his drink.

Stefan didn't know what sent him to the Haunted Star other than to get some fresh air outside of the molding walls of the dark castle. "I know what you did. And I'm here to make you aware that I'm aware."

Luke swallowed the melted ice and glared in Stefan's direction. "Why don't you spell out what the hell you're talking about?"

"You shot Lulu. I received word from Laura that Lulu may be paralyzed."

Luke gripped tight to his glass though he felt his hand starting to shake from the worry forming in the pit of his stomach. "If the police come 'aknocking, I'll answer. To you, I don't answer. Get the hell off of my boat!"

Ethan ran down the stairs hearing Luke's voice in the distance. "What's going on here?"

Stefan turned to Ethan. "I'm on my way to the hospital to see Lulu. I'm sure she'd be happy to see her brother." He continued past Ethan.

"Stay away from my kid!" Luke shouted as he slammed the glass onto the counter shattering it into pieces.

Stefan left without another word as Ethan rushed to clean up the broken glass on the counter. He shoveled the glass into a pile at the edge of the bar. Luke buried his head in his hands and sobbed.

"Luke…" Ethan rubbed Luke's shivering back. "What did he say? What's the latest on Lulu?"

Luke raised his head. "I shot her Dodge. It was an accident but my fault."

"I heard that shots were fired that were meant for Stavros and Lulu was shot instead. Have you talked to Lucky?"

"I ran. Remember? You were there."

Ethan groaned realizing Luke's dismay the night of the shooting. "Sorry Mate. Holly's still in town. How 'bout the three of us play a couple rounds of poker? I can call up the guys and make it a guy's night."

"My precious Lulu may never walk again Dodge. Why am I still even here? I'm worthless to my family. I cause my kids nothing but pain."

* * *

Jason made it to the gates of Wyndemere. He felt neither cold from the brisk and icy Spoon Island wind nor pain from the rocks that poked the bottoms of his feet. All he felt was the stinging in his heart from the loss of Mikkosavich Alexander. He tried to remember the last time he held the little boy that he claimed as his son. The guards barely acknowledged him.

"I need in!" Jason yelled pulling on the bars.

One guard looked at the other until they both decided Jason wasn't much of a threat in his hospital getup. They opened the gates and allowed him to run down the cobbled path to the front door of the castle. Jason banged on the door. "It's Jason! I need to see Alexis!"

Ms. Landsbury opened the door stunned. "Mr. Morgan."

"Quartermaine." Jason forced himself inside feeling the sting of his body finally thawing and his feet waking up.

"Shall I get you some warmer clothes? Maybe a pair of slippers?"

"I need Alexis." He studied his surroundings.

Ms. Landsbury raised her brow and pointed down the hall. "In the Great Room…at your own risk."

Jason barely gave her time to finish before he tore off down the hall and flung open the double doors. The portrait caught his attention. It was his first time seeing the change from the Queen Helena to the Queen Natasha. His eyes moved to the wall sliding open. The woman he thought was Alexis emerged from the wall and looked right through him.

"What do you want?"

Jason was still thrown by the painting and by her seemingly unaware of her surroundings compared to his sense of urgency. "Alexis, where is Mikkosavich?" He charged towards her.

"Why do you ask?"

Jason tried to move closer but was met with an outstretched arm and her strong fingers pressing into his chest.

"Come any closer and I'll do to you what I did to Franco. You're not on my list but I'm not above putting you in your place."

Anger rose up in Jason's chest as she threatened him. He grabbed her right arm but was met Natasha's powerful left hook to his face. Jason fell back and tumbled to the ground blacking out.

_Alexis handed off Mikkos to Jason. "Sorry he smells like horse manure."_

_The memories of holding baby Michael and Jake flooded back to him. He remembered both times being the most prideful and trying times of his life. Mikkos settled right in feeling safe in Jason's hands enveloping his tiny body._

_"Do you remember the day I picked up Michael from the hospital? You were there." Jason said._

_Alexis tapped her temple. "Yes. I believe I went to the hospital to speak to Luke about our plan to kill Helena. He and I were looking at the babies. Michael was a preemie. And you showed up in your leather jacket all tough guy." She laughed. "I overhead the conversation between you two. It was scary and I wasn't even a mother...that I knew of..."_

_Jason chuckled. "Me and Luke plotting out how we were going to take care of this newborn baby without his mother. Thank God for Bobbie."_

_"And I went to you and told you that I wanted to represent you to ensure that you kept custody of Michael. I believed in you. I believed that you adored that kid."_

_Jason moaned. "But yet he calls Sonny his dad. I don't think he remembers me._

_"Memories are funny things. Michael and I both seem to remember all the bad." Alexis got up and went to her desk. "I know that I am sucking right now at motherhood. But it is beyond my control. So if you choose to use anything you've witnessed today against me, I don't know that I'd blame you."_

_Jason took Mikkos and placed him in his bassinet. "After seeing the way you beat up Skye?"_

_"When Skye took Kristina, it was like putting her in the stables all over again for someone to take her away from me. The thoughts about it make me agitated."_

_"Is that a recurring nightmare for you?" Jason asked._

_"Of course. I came back from the stables to Helena ripping a knife across my mother's throat. Have you ever had to sit across from your mother's murderer and be forced to finish your duck soup when you can keep nothing down? That was the day after my mother was killed." Alexis sat down at her desk. "Helena made me sit in a chair facing her at the dinner table. My posture had to be perfect or she'd force me to stand and eat. But nothing about me was ever perfect so I stood a lot. My eyes had to look into hers. It was like hypnosis."_

* * *

Unlike everyone else in Port Charles, Lorenzo felt a glimmer of hope in his world after his encounter with Lily Rae as well as Alana. He was a man of strong faith. So he decided a moment of silence at the church where he explained angels to Emma and Lila Rae would be fitting to give thanks for his blessings. The bells were silent unlike the last time he made his trek across the cemetery to hear the chime for every year that little Alec lived. He noticed a fiery red Porsche parked outside the church with the license plate SkyeQ.

When he went inside, he found Skye sitting alone in the church sanctuary in the second row of the pews. He walked over to the altar and kneeled motioning the trinity and the sign of the cross in the air. "Amen." He stood up again and took a seat on the front row of the pew in front of Skye. "Here for anything in particular?" He rested his arm along the pew and turned back to Skye.

Skye took her tissue and dabbed her eyes void of any makeup. She looked as if she hadn't slept much. "Just thinking of Jax. I went to see him at the morgue but Carly was there. I didn't feel right being there."

Lorenzo reached his hand down and grasped hers in his. "I hope they figure out what happened. For Sam's sake, I'm glad Jason made it out alive as well as Brenda."

"I have both of my brothers back. I should be thankful for that I guess." Skye forced a smile.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here but I came to say thanks myself. I've had a good New Year so far. The first part of it was spent with my precious granddaughter. And today, I had tea with Lila Rae." He watched Skye expecting her demure expression to change but he got nothing.

Skye pulled her hand from Lorenzo's and caught a couple tears flowing from her eyes. "I'm a horrible mother. I think I'm feeling the beginning of that bad Karma for what I did to Alexis."

"Lila Rae was kind. She's a clever little girl and definitely not naive. She's very much aware that I'm not somewhere dangling in purgatory after you gave me permission to leave hell." Lorenzo laughed.

"You just became unrecognizable to me. You weren't the man that I fell in love with anymore. And I had to side with family. Jason is my family and Sam was an extension of Jason. And you made her life a living hell."

"I wanted Sam to pay for all the pain that she caused me. And Ric agreed so he didn't help curb my irrational anger. It was wrong but I'm only saying that because Sam is my daughter. If she wasn't, I don't know that we'd be sitting her together having this conversation. All of these situations are conditional. I admit that loving me is conditional but you knew that. You just didn't want to play by my rules."

"I am Skye Chandler Cudahy Kinder Davidson Jacks Quartermaine. I don't play by anyone's rules but my own. So you're right, maybe it wouldn't have worked out even if Jason hadn't attempted to kill you. But I don't regret the miracle that is my daughter."

The sound of the church doors slammed open startling both Lorenzo and Skye. Lorenzo peered over to the sound hoping the two of them weren't in any danger. His eyes met Natasha's as she stood in the hall. He knew it was her. He could tell from the forcefulness of the doors shoved open. "Natasha?"

Natasha backed out further into the hall and waited until Lorenzo gathered his nerve to go out to her. He walked away hoping to get out of earshot of Skye. Natasha readjusted the gloves on her hands making Lorenzo wait for whatever she had to say. "You two friends now?"

Lorenzo checked behind him. "We're coming to an understanding for the sake of our child."

"Until she becomes my child than you won't need to worry about Skye any longer."

"There you go again with the threats. Stop it. You're not getting your hands on Skye do you understand?"

Natasha snapped at the fabric of one glove and pulled off the other. "It won't be messy like Franco. I wanted to make sure he couldn't be revived. And I promise I won't let Lila Rae be a witness. I actually adore the child."

"Stop filling her head with bad advice about men. In fact, just stay away from her all together."

Natasha slipped her handbag under arm and pressed her lips against Lorenzo's cheek. "Don't worry Darling. I won't tell you when I do it. Accidents just happen. And when they do there's bound to be an evil stepmother waiting in the wings to take over." She flashed the blood diamond ring in front of Lorenzo's eyes. "I haven't forgotten your promise of holy matrimony. Is that why you're here? To speak to the minister?"

Sonny walked inside the doors of the church. "Alexis?"

Natasha stroked at Lorenzo's chest. Lorenzo started to squirm not sure how to explain Natasha's behavior.

"What's going on here?" Sonny asked.

Natasha glanced at Sonny. "What do you want?"

"I'm here to see Skye. She told me she was going to be here."

Natasha leaned her body into Lorenzo's. "Oh…well I'm here to remind my fiancé…"

"I'm right here." Sonny opened his arms.

Lorenzo ran his hand across his neck signaling to Sonny to cut it out. "This isn't a good time to have this discussion. Natasha is just distraught over Mikkos."

"Mikkos is safe." Natasha moved away from Lorenzo and towards the door. "I left him in the stables as my mother asked me to do. He'll come back to me."

"Natasha this isn't like the last couple times you hid Mikkos. Yes, he always came back but this time he's really missing." Lorenzo said.

Natasha stared at Sonny. "Do I know you? I think I do. Have we been formally introduced?"

Sonny crawled inside himself. He was afraid to even go near her. She was unrecognizable to him. "I'm Michael J. Corinthos...Sonny Corinthos." He spoke through a clinched jaw.

Natasha grabbed her head for the headache that plagued her temple as she tried her hardest to remember. "Right…" She left the church.

"What the hell was that?" Sonny got in Lorenzo's face.

"If you would fucking pay attention, you'd see that wasn't Alexis. It was Natasha."

"I don't give a fuck who she is…stay away from her."

"Sonny, she came obviously looking for me. I may hate you but I'm not trying to fuck with your woman."

"Really? Then why the hell did you sleep with her the day before New Year's Eve?"

"She told you about that?"

"She sure as fuck did. You took advantage of her."

Lorenzo shook his head. "No. I slept with Natasha. So don't stand there and accuse me of rape."

"Sounds exactly like what you did."

"I don't need to listen to your bullshit anymore. Good luck with Natasha. And by the way…she thinks you're beneath her." Lorenzo walked away and out of the doors of the church.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Protect your Queen, Lorenzo."

Lorenzo was a young boy of only the age of five when he first heard that phrase while trembling on the cold marble floor. He was motherless and practically fatherless as well. It was Helena's motto that she couldn't do much of her work unless the child was an orphan. Mikkosavich kept the boys' father, Ramon Alcazar, distracted with their meetings of business strategy while Helena worked her mind control magic on her subjects. The day that Natasha was born years after the Alcazar twins, Helena had a plan and Bergman's bastard would be her first female subject. Murdering Kristen Bergman would be the least of Helena's troubles as she had already done it years before with Alexandra Alcazar.

The Cassadines had been friends with the Alcazars for many years even before their children were born. But Helena suspected that Mikkos' wandering eye fell upon Ramon's wife, Alexandra. She wouldn't be far off as Mikkos was as much of a vagrant as Helena thought. And Helena wasn't having it. She ensured that an accident would befall Alexandra Alcazar shortly before the twins, Luis and Lorenzo, would turn five years old. Helena's confidence in the art of murder grew as the tragedy passed on without anyone suspecting her role.

Ramon Alcazar was a loving man who adored both of his sons but the loss of his wife forced him to withdraw. So he threw his all into growing the family's arms dealing business. But his biggest goal was that his sons would be educated through the best and with the best. He was proud that Luis and Lorenzo were considered to be the "chosen ones" welcomed with open arms by the Greco-Russian royalty of the Cassadine family. But little did he know there would be a cost.

Helena had devised a plan after the death of Alexandra Alcazar and she had a peculiar attraction to Lorenzo. Though Luis could be a bit of a flirt, Lorenzo bore a sensitive side with a wealth of intelligence and determination that gave Helena a challenge. The first time she saw him after the death of his mother, he kept to himself in the corner of the room. It was filled with mourners giving Ramon well-wishes while Lorenzo was ignored as if the little boy had no concept of death and loss. All of the chairs in the room were taken by the adults and Lorenzo hated to sit on the floor even though he watched with awe every day at their maid who polished the wood floors. His feet started to hurt in his brand new dress shoes so he propped one foot against the wall and balanced on his other. He tucked his shirt into his dress pants and straightened his tie to greet his father's guests with a fake smile. After what he thought was the last guest to usher in, he went back to his contemplations of his mother which filled him with uncontrollable sorrow.

"Lorenzo?" Helena slipped her fingers under the little boy's chin and lifted his tearful face to her. "I know you miss your mother but I promised her that I would take good care of you."

Lorenzo was infatuated with Helena. He'd never spoken to her before as he and Luis were often shepherded to their rooms when their parents had guests. But Lorenzo would peek outside his door and watch Helena sitting and chatting with his mother and father. She loved to wear diamonds in her ears, around her neck, and the bracelets on her wrists. His father told him that the diamonds meant that Helena was wealthy. Lorenzo yearned for the chance to be acknowledged by her.

His day finally came at the repast after his mother's funeral. He treasured the touch of Helena's fingers on his skin. He even believed that maybe he caught a whiff of his mother's perfume. Lorenzo's eyes fell on her sparkling diamond bracelet. He lifted his hand and poked at the bracelet.

"Diamonds are a girl's best friend. Maybe one day I'll explain why they're so important to me." Helena got down on her knees which mortified Lorenzo.

He pulled from her agitated and shook his head.

"What's wrong?" Helena was perceptive of Lorenzo's disturbed behavior. She kept him under her close watch and learned every mannerism.

Luis ran over to them. "He's weird." He grabbed his brother in a headlock.

Helena was amused by both of the boys wrestling in the corner but there was something about Lorenzo that she knew she could cling too.

* * *

Spencer woke up in the morning and something felt different. His bed was much bigger than the one he was used to sleeping in at Wonderland or Wyndemere. He realized he was in his Uncle Sonny's guestroom. Jason and Sam made it their priority that Spencer's room at Wonderland would be just as it was at Wyndemere—covered in horses. Spencer loved horses just as Natasha did at his age. They gave him comfort and peace. He rested his head on his pillow longing to open his eyes to his rocking horse that he was too big to ride but its plush body was soft enough to nuzzle against to read his favorite book.

"Good morning Spencer." Sonny stood in the doorway having heard Spencer tossing and turning under his covers.

"Morning Uncle Sonny." Spencer buried his face in his pillow just wanting to close his eyes and go back to sleep to wish himself back to the home where he was most familiar.

"What can I make you for breakfast?"

"Ms. Landsbury makes me banana bread and tea." Spencer whimpered.

Alexis had a long night. One of those where she couldn't remember where she went or how she got there. She woke up that morning on her couch at the lake house with a pounding headache and morning sickness that was getting worse and worse as her pregnancy progressed. She got in her car and drove over to the Greystone. The snow and ice had cleared leaving a sunny winter's morning. She stepped out of the car and found Milo standing watch outside the door.

"Good morning Ms. Davis. Mr. C is upstairs with Spencer and Molly was called over to Wonderland because Johnny is having issues with Alana." Milo held the door open for Alexis barely getting any acknowledgement from her.

Alexis just grabbed her head still in a stupor and went inside.

Even though Alexis wasn't fully aware of the things she did when Natasha took over, there were times when Natasha would leak information to Alexis but only when a small bit of a conscious formed within Natasha.

"I can strategically program what I like to call a self-destructive mechanism." Helena spoke with confidence to Faison soon after the birth of Franco.

Faison sat back in his chair ready and willing to listen to Helena's plan to create a monster out of the newborn child of Robert and Anna Scorpio. "And what does this self-destructive mechanism do?"

"I can't control all of my subjects so I program them to control themselves and each other. If the host gets even an idea to out itself, a mechanism is programmed to either sabotage or commit suicide. The last thing that the host will concede to is integration."

Alexis went up the stairs and noticed Sonny still standing in the doorway talking to Spencer. "Good morning." She whispered in his ear.

Sonny jumped from his skin and could feel his heart pulsating in his chest. There was a fear deep down inside of him of Natasha, but he caught his breath realizing the smile on her face was for him. "Alexis, Good Morning…"

Alexis kissed Sonny who was still a bit off kilter. "What are we discussing here?"

"Breakfast." Sonny scratched his head still in wonder of her transformation from the indignant woman he faced the night before. "Do you know how to make banana bread?"

"I can follow a recipe." She studied his face curious as to why he was standoffish. She sensed something was wrong.

* * *

Molly went to Wonderland and found Johnny in the kitchen holding Alana in one arm and a mixing bowl in the other.

"Molly! So glad you're here. Spinelli had to jet leaving me alone to make baby food for Alana. You got skillz?" Johnny bounced Alana in his arms. "I can't remember the last time I held a baby." He played in Alana's soft brown hair still messy from just waking up. He ran his finger across her warm rosy cheek while thinking to himself that he could get used to the job of babysitter.

"What are you making?" Molly asked.

"I'm told that she likes bananas so I'm thinking bananas with a little honey…"

"No!" Molly waved her hands.

"What?" Johnny held Alana close to him as she too was startled by Molly's protest.

"You can't give a baby honey. You'll kill her!"

Johnny grabbed the honey bottle and tossed it in the trash. "No worries! I didn't give it to her. She has ingested nothing by my hands. I just got here."

Alana giggled and poked her saliva-soaked fingers into Johnny's cheek. Her deep blue eyes decorated her mischievous smile that both Sam and Jason found irresistible to say no to.

"There goes my idea for bananas and honey. What about Banana's Foster?" Johnny winked at Molly.

"I think that would be worse. What are you doing here?" Molly took a seat at the dinner table.

"I'm just keeping an eye on the home front until Jason gets out of the hospital."

"When is Jason coming home?"

Johnny sat down and balanced Alana on his leg. "Sam called and said he had a bit of a setback. But he's back in the hospital and he'll be fine. So will Brenda."

"But Jax is gone."

"Molly I didn't have much use for Jax one way or the other but knowing you lost your father and then your Uncle Jax makes my heart break for you."

Molly rested her elbows on the table and watched Alana grinning from ear to ear loving sitting on Johnny's lap. "Did someone kill him? Like they killed my father? Who would kill Uncle Jax? Why do people kill other people?"

Jonny nervously rubbed his brow. "Why you asking me?"

"Because I know what you do for a living. And don't say you do it to protect the people you love."

"I was born to do this. It's all I've ever known. It's not an excuse. It's just fact. But I admit that I'm hoping to turn a new leaf."

"What changed?"

Johnny just looked at Molly a bit dumbfounded in realizing who he was talking to. "I found someone to live for. Let's just put it that way."

* * *

Alexis searched through Sonny's cabinets and pulled out bowls while Sonny rummaged through his refrigerator.

"I don't want to go to the store. But I think Spencer could use Ms. Landsbury's banana bread." Sonny closed the refrigerator and just watched her arranging everything on the counter in order. He inhaled and said a silent prayer thanking God that she was there and hoping that she'd stay. He had a moment of flashback remembering the Sunday brunches that he prepared for the ladies in celebration of the imminent birth of the child that belonged to everyone yet to no one. His eyes fell to her belly that was showing an almost noticeable baby bump. And he was reminded of what Alexis said to him regarding his unconditional love for the children in his life.

_Molly sat up and observed her surroundings. "I'll race you upstairs and whoever gets to the best room first gets to claim it."_

_Kristina sat up not really up for a race. "Right now? Come on."_

_Molly bolted up from the couch while Kristina snapped out of her tired mood and nipped at her little sister's heels. Sonny caught the speed of the race in his chest as he made his way down the stairs. He cradled both squealing girls in each arm and ushered them back into the living room._

_"What is going on?" He asked with a breathy laugh._

_"Molly thinks she's going to get the better room, but she doesn't deserve it!" Kristina yelled._

_Sonny's light demeanor stiffened up. "Wait a minute. How do you know which is the better room and why doesn't Molly deserve better?"_

_"Because I'm your biological child so I deserve the best." Kristina stomped her foot._

_Molly pulled from Sonny and sat back down on the couch._

_"Ok." Sonny reached in his pocket and pulled out a quarter. "We're gonna flip and whoever wins the flip gets to go up first and pick their room."_

_Molly stood up. "Don't Uncle Sonny. I don't want to play anymore. Kristina can pick first."_

_Kristina looked at Sonny and shrugged her shoulders._

_"Go ahead." Sonny motioned for Kristina to go upstairs._

_She raced up the stairs without another thought while Molly slumped back down on the couch. Sonny grabbed a glass of Scotch and handed it in Molly's direction._

_"This is the first and the last time I will offer you a drink." He flashed his dimples at Molly._

_She didn't budge as she played with the edges of her hair. He took a sip of his Scotch and sat down next to her._

_"What she said was mean and untrue." He said. "You are just as much my little girl as Ric's."_

_"But he's not here so that doesn't say much." She mumbled with sadness in her voice._

_"Maybe I said it wrong. I don't look at you and Kristina and see a difference. You don't have to call me dad, but I feel like I'm more than just Uncle Sonny to you."_

_Molly moved closer to Sonny. "Will Sam feel connected to her baby even though she's not giving birth to it? How does that work?"_

_"I can't really answer that question." He said. "But it helps that your mother is carrying the baby. And I will let you in on a little secret. All the rooms up there are great, but if there's anything extra special you want in your room, I'll do it."_

_Molly hopped up and gave Sonny a hug. "I just want a really really big bookcase."_

_"It's yours." Sonny laughed._

_Molly released Sonny from her grasp just as Alexis came into the room._

Alexis rolled up her sleeves and spotted Sonny just watching her. "We can improvise." She blushed.

"That's how it started with us. Would you call it free styling? Like my dance moves at the ballet?"

Alexis was bewildered not sure what he was talking about. "We can improvise on the recipe. Ms. Landsbury gives out her recipes but I think she leaves some of the ingredients out on purpose. I'm convinced she puts Nikolas' cocaine in her bread." Alexis ran her hand in front of Sonny's eyes noticing they were slightly glazed over. 'That was a joke by the way."

Sonny broke from his daydream. "It's gonna taste like shit."

Spencer went into the kitchen still in his pajamas. He shoved a chair against the counter and climbed on top hoping to be the center of attention towering over the adults. Alexis gathered Spencer in her arms and dragged him down from the counter. "You're going to kill yourself up there." She swung him around until he laughed himself dizzy.

Spencer arranged himself upside down. "It feels like Uncle Jax's boat in my belly."

Alexis glanced at Sonny. The both of them remembered that the little boy friskily dangling from Alexis' arms like a monkey in a tree wasn't aware. Sonny bent over and picked up Spencer noticing Alexis letting go and the child slipping to the ground.

"I understand if you don't want to talk about..." Alexis stuttered.

"No. I do." Sonny interrupted. "I think we should skip the banana bread, put on our coats, and go to Kelly's for pie. And we can talk about Jax."

Spencer rested his chin on Sonny's shoulder. "Is something wrong with Uncle Jax?"

Sonny hugged Spencer and rubbed his back. "Nothing like Grandpa's apple pie."

* * *

Helena ordered one of her henchmen to sit five year old Lorenzo on the floor in nothing more than his underwear and to tape colored electrical wires to his head. "Set up the chess board. I want to test his brain waves."

Lorenzo's teeth chattered as he shivered from his bare skin touching the marble checkered floor. He held back from crying though Helena knew it's all he wanted to do. She kneeled down to him. "Never show your weakness. I know your weakness." She patted her hand on the floor and stood back up. "Don't worry. Soon this will all be painless. You'll get used to it." Helena pulled on a lever at her desk sending waves of electrical shock through the wires.

Lorenzo woke up in a pool of his sweat. Realizing he wasn't that scared little boy anymore, he felt safe with the sun creeping through the windows of the art studio loft. He closed his eyes but a knock on the door jolted them open. "Who is it?"

"Michael….I have a key."

Lorenzo groaned as he lugged himself out of bed. "Come in."

Michael opened the door and walked in covering his eyes. "You decent?"

Lorenzo threw off the covers and readjusted his boxers. "You got a problem with boxer briefs?" He finally gathered his bearings to get off the bed.

Michael slid his hands from his eyes. "Liz and I are due for an art session."

Lorenzo struggled with tiredness until he grabbed his pants neatly tossed across the foot of his bedframe. "I have to get ready for this meeting."

"Need help?" Michael sat down on a crate.

"It's a meeting with the families. You shouldn't be involved."

"Johnny and I ran that shipment for you, remember?"

Lorenzo slipped on his slacks and sat back down on his bed. "I think you should take some time to process what happened with you and Natasha and that whole Franco situation."

Michael jumped up from the crate. "I'm ready. I'm back. Put me to work." He watched Lorenzo who was seemingly lost. "Something happen?"

"I thought I was healed."

"Healed from what?" It took Michael a minute to figure it all out. "Great. So you're telling me that you never get over being raped. Doesn't sound very promising. What made you think about it?"

"Natasha…she showed up yesterday. Every time I see her, I think about what happened to me."

"Kevin helps me a lot. Maybe you should see him more."

"I'm starting to remember some things that I'd learned to forget. Natasha is a manifestation of Alexis' memory. I don't know that I want that to happen to me."

* * *

When Sonny and Alexis arrived at Kelly's with Spencer, it was still bustling with the morning breakfast crowd. Alexis and Spencer found a table while Sonny alerted Mike that he had special guests. Spencer had never felt particularly close to Alexis but he longed to just sit in her lap and be coddled by her.

Sonny took a seat at the table.

"Like I said, we don't have to discuss this." Alexis reiterated.

"Not a problem." Sonny leaned into the Spencer. "So about Uncle Jax…you do understand that Jax was your dad?"

Spencer picked up a fork and dug into the pie. "I'm Prince Spencer Cassadine."

"Ok. Fair enough." Sonny took a sip of coffee. "The ball is in your court Alexis."

Alexis nestled her nose in Spencer's neatly trimmed hair. "I think we should maybe let Sam and Jason have this discussion with him. But I really do appreciate you for trying. I'm sure Courtney is proud of you for helping taking good care of him."

"Helena said I'm to protect the Queen. And then I can be the prince."

Alexis was startled. The painful trigger sparked in her brain but luckily didn't ignite.

"Something wrong Alexis?" Sonny looked past her at Johnny walk in holding Alana with Molly behind him. "Your friend just showed up."

Alexis turned to the door and slipped Spencer from her lap to a chair. "I need to speak to him." She got up and went over to Johnny. "What are you doing with my daughter of my daughter?"

Johnny laughed. "You can't say it can you? Granddaughter…"

"She has trouble with that name." Molly blurted out before heading to the table with Sonny and Spencer.

Johnny grinned. "Don't worry…you're more of a MILF in my book."

"We don't need to use those dirty words." Alexis reached out to Alana who leaped into her hands. "She can call me Gorgeous. But since I have you here, this baby situation you've got with Sonny is not cool."

"Alexis, are you denying that we slept together? I remember it. I don't know why you don't."

Alexis covered one of the Alana's ears with her hand. "Ok yes. I concede that we had sex. But I didn't factor you into the baby daddy pool."

"That's not my fault!" Johnny shouted.

Alexis pushed Johnny into a corner away from earshot of Sonny. "Fine. You're probably the father."

"And would that be such a bad thing?"

"I would have to update my Facebook status to it's complicated. But do you realize I'm marrying Sonny?"

"So." Johnny threw up his hands. "I don't give a flying fuck about your relationship with Sonny."

Alexis buried Alana face in between her breasts. "You can't say fuck in front of the baby."

"You just said it."

"I said it to tell you that you can't say it."

Sonny went to Alexis and tapped her on the shoulder. "I hate to break this up but you need to lay off of her Johnny."

Johnny pointed to Alana whose ears were still closely guarded by Alexis' bosom. "Alana is theoretically in my care…"

"I got it." Alexis raised her hand.

"Don't feed her honey and stick her in the stables." Johnny shoved Sonny out of his way before storming out of Kelly's.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Alexis asked Sonny.

"Just stay away from Johnny and Lorenzo."

Alana started to fuss and fidget in Alexis' hold. "It's really more complicated than that Sonny."

* * *

Jason could barely open his eyes.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Kevin hovered over Jason.

Sam kissed Jason's left eye black and blue from Natasha's fist. "I can't believe she hit you."

"Did he just ask me how many fingers he's holding up?" Jason mumbled.

"Well…can you answer me?" Kevin shoved his fingers in front of Jason's face.

"My patience is wearing thin right now." Jason said.

Monica walked into the room. "How is he? Next time I see Alexis, I swear I am going off on that Bitch."

"Hold on." Kevin said. "Not necessary. Alexis didn't hit Jason."

"Then who did?" Monica asked.

"It was Alexis' alter, Natasha."

Jason grabbed at his temple. "I don't usually request drugs but there is a soccer match going on in my head."

"I will get your nurse." Monica left the room.

Jason started to cry. "I feel like death warmed over."

Sam pressed her face into his chest. "He's crying. We have got to find Mikkos. Kevin, you have to fix my mom. You just have to."

"Sam, I cannot explain to you enough how deeply engrained Helena's programming is…"

"I thought she had DID."

Kevin shoved his hands in his pockets. "That's the simple way of describing it."

"Our son is missing Kevin." Jason could barely talk from the pain. "He needs to be found."

Anna walked in. "Kevin, can I see you outside here?"

Epiphany forced her way into Jason's room. "Everybody out. The includes you Sam. We need to take this headache seriously."

"Is he going to be ok?" Sam asked.

"It's just a precaution." Epiphany reassured her.

Nikolas refused to the leave the hospital. He slid down on the couch in the waiting room and decided to try to take a nap until he felt a hand on his shoulders. Opening his eyes to Stavros, Nikolas' heart leaped from his chest. "What are you doing here?" He got up from the couch and pinched himself to see if he really was seeing his father.

"I've taken a room at the Metro Court. I did it under Gallos' name so no one would suspect."

Nikolas settled back down on the couch. "I can't talk to you right now."

"How is your sister?" Stavros took a seat next to Nikolas. "I am concerned. I feel responsible."

"How would you be responsible?"

"The bullets were intended for me."

Nikolas glanced at Stavros. "Who shot the gun?"

"I'm fairly certain that Luke shot the gun."

Nikolas got up again and paced. "I'll talk to Lucky. If it was Luke he would have said something by now. I don't trust you Stavros. You need to leave."

Stavros stood up and handed Nikolas a card. "Stop by my room any time."

After Stavros left, Nikolas studied the card for a second before crumbling it up and tossing it into the wastebasket. Sam found Nikolas in the waiting room. "How you holding up?" She asked.

"I guess I could ask you the same question."

"My mother beat up Jason."

"God." Nikolas slapped his hands on his face. "When will the crazy end?"

"Are you leaving?" Sam plopped down next to Nikolas.

"I'm not staying. Especially not if Stavros is sticking around."

Dr. Jackson rushed into the waiting room. "I am so glad I found you Nik. I need your help."

Nikolas grumbled. "What now?"

"Mikkosavich is alive and he's missing." Dr. Jackson rattled off quickly.

Sam punched her fist against the wall. "We know that already."

"No no no. Big Mikkosavich."

Nikolas jumped up. "The King?"

"Elvis is alive?" Sam exclaimed. "I'm like a huge fan. You can thank my brother Danny for that one. I rarely admit to that. Don't ever tell Jason that I'm an Elvis fan."

Dr. Jackson was rendered speechless. "I revived him and he just went missing. And he was last spotted at Wyndemere. I need to find him."

"Does he look like he did when he died? He wasn't all that hot when he died." Sam said.

"Is she still talking about Elvis?" Dr. Jackson pointed to Sam.

Nikolas could barely breathe. "I can't fucking believe it. Our grandfather is alive. I gotta help Terrell find him."

Dr. Jackson and Nikolas left Sam alone in the waiting room still clueless until Robin walked in.

"You ok?" Robin asked.

"All I got from that conversation was that the King is alive and he's my grandfather. How the fuck is Elvis my grandfather?"

Robin pressed her hand against Sam's forehead. "You're drinking again. You gotta lay off the booze Sam."

* * *

Sonny knocked on Brenda's cracked open door. "Can I come in?" He found her trying her best to get some rest finally getting some peace from the traffic of visitors in and out of her room. "You look tired."

Brenda touched her face still bruised and in pain from the scars. "Thanks."

Sonny chuckled. "I don't mean that in a bad way. I don't want to interrupt if you were trying to get some sleep."

Brenda beckoned for Sonny to take seat. "Stay. We haven't really had the chance to catch up.'

Sonny sat down and pulled his chair close to her. "How crazy is it that you and I could be like two ships passing each other in the night?"

"Trying not to deal with our issues I suppose."

"I enjoyed therapy."

"Did I properly thank you for trying to save Alec?"

"Don't thank me. Do or do not. There is no try."

Brenda's eyes filled with tears. "That was his favorite phrase."

"I wanted to check on you and tell you that I'm glad you survived. I couldn't imagine my world without Brenda Barrett in it. I don't know how I got along without you near. "

"You're just saying that. When I left with Jax and Alec, you didn't call."

"But I kept guards on you…"

"Wasn't enough." Brenda wiped her eyes. "I wanted to hear your voice."

"Like when you called the penthouse that night Katherine Bell died at the Bacchanalia? Remember that night?"

Brenda nodded.

"You called a couple times and hung up. I had just returned from the island. I knew it was you. Then you came over and told me that the best thing I ever did was leaving you alone at the aisle. And Jax was the one for you. Did you really believe that Jax was the one?"

"I don't know who the one is. I don't know that I was the one for Jax. And Nikolas…I love how he's mysterious just like you."

"I'm not that complicated." Sonny let out a nervous laugh. "Now Alexis is another story. Help me figure that out. Am I doing the right thing? When you left I thought my life was over and I would never love again so I did something that I'm now regretting."

_"Since when do I answer to you and Jason?" Alexis asked._

_"Is this about you moving in? 'Cause it wasn't my suggestion." Sonny pled innocence._

_"So you don't want me living here?" Alexis' face dropped._

_Sonny slammed down his glass and leaned on the table. "I can't win with you."_

_"Since Brenda left, I kinda figured you didn't want me around...or any woman for that matter."_

_Sonny stood upright and furrowed his brow. "We don't need to talk about Brenda. And I'd be happy to have you, Kristina, and Molly here as long as you need." Sonny continued sipping his Scotch._

_"I'm not sure of the best time to tell Kristina and Molly what's going on. I don't want them to be disappointed if something bad happens. But at the same time, I want them to be a part of every minute of this."_

_Sonny nodded. "Yea. You're gonna have to explain to them why you're moving in with me." He walked away from her and sat down at his desk. He picked up a paper in a gesture of avoidance._

_Alexis watched him sit in restrained silence. "I'll leave you alone. You seem to be...busy."_

_Sonny grunted._

_Alexis leaned on his desk. "You're afraid you're gonna fall in love with me again aren't you?"_

_Sonny continued to ignore her._

_Alexis backed her way out of the living room. "It's ok. You don't have to answer now. I'm going to make your life a living hell when I move in."_

_Sonny put down his paper and remained silent. He looked behind him to see if she was gone._

_"You will get a proper lock on your door when I move in!" Alexis shouted from the lobby. _

Brenda clung to Sonny's last word of _regret_. She feared the worse for Alexis. She and Alexis weren't necessarily close friends but they weren't enemies either. The doubt on their relationship was broken when Alexis, without thought, gave Alec her favorite porcelain doll to be buried in his casket as Russian tradition dictated. There was a mutual respect that they had for one another. But the last thing she wanted was for Sonny to say that he was marrying Alexis for all the wrong reasons.

_"I hope it's ok that I came with Sam."_

_"Of course. You're always welcome." Alexis sat down at the table across from the Sam and Brenda._

_Sam couldn't wait to dig in thinking her hunger pangs would dissipate after giving birth. "Where is Lorenzo?"_

_"I don't know." Alexis said in between bites. "We were here and he said something about needing to go back to the yacht for his art supplies or something."_

_"What's going on with you and Lorenzo?" Brenda teased._

_"Nothing. And I tried."_

_"Let me tell you the back story Brenda. See my mother and Sonny had sex a couple nights ago."_

_"Sam!" Alexis was mortified._

_"Was it the night Ric died?" Brenda asked._

_"The night we found out." Alexis stuffed her mouth with food._

_"That was grief sex." Brenda said._

_Sam moved the pie in front of her. "I've had grief sex."_

_"I have as well." Brenda said digging into the pie. "It's the best you'll ever have."_

_Alexis was disappointed. "You really believe it was grief sex?"_

_Sam and Brenda both nodded._

_Brenda took her fork and circled it around their heads. "All of us have been with Sonny."_

_"He said he wanted to hurl his hotdog on my naked body." Alexis whined._

_Sam snickered. "Jesus. Stop now please."_

_"Can we talk about embarrassing?" Brenda asked. "Nikolas asked me to be his escort. Does he know what an escort is? Don't think I don't know about his little arrangement with my precious Brooke Lynn."_

_Alexis raised her hand. "I confess to encouraging that arrangement. I just want him to find someone. Poor thing. They all wind up dead or related to him."_

_Sam almost choked. "He'll find someone. I don't think he thinks you're a paid ho."_

_"Paid ho? Are you saying I'm an unpaid ho?" Brenda asked._

_"Lorenzo told me he's a gentleman and couldn't take advantage of me."_

_"How did he get out of it?" Sam asked._

_"He said he wanted to go to Kelly's and eat pie. He hates pie."_

_Sam's eyes grew wide. "Wait. How do you know Lorenzo hates pie? He told me he hates pie."_

_"I just remembered from when we were younger."_

_"That's great Mom. That means you're remembering things."_

_Brenda fell in a daze. "Luis Alcazar loved pie. He was also very good in bed."_

_"He did and he was." Alexis remembered._

_"That's what she said before she killed him." Sam sang._

_"Sore subject." Brenda and Alexis both chimed in._

Brenda eyed Sonny biting at his fingers. He seemed distressed as if any words of encouragement that fell from Brenda's mouth would be the truth that he was seeking to find. "Don't marry Alexis if not you're feeling it. I care about her."

"That's not the problem." Sonny stood up.

"Oh good." Brenda touched her chest relieved.

"When you left, I got a vasectomy."

Brenda slapped her hand across her mouth. "Oh my God. You're joking right?"

Sonny sat down again. "No. I thought I didn't want any more children. Brenda, I need to pretend that this baby Alexis is carrying is mine. I already let on to her that it might not be though she's convinced that it is…until she becomes Natasha and I don't matter to her anymore."

"Oh…the DID. It's worse?"

Sonny's eyes glistened in the dim light. "Brenda, how did she get worse? And will she get better?"

Anna followed Kevin into his office. "I just need an explanation as to why all of a sudden Alexis is phasing into Natasha so easily. And the delineations between the two are more pronounced. I need to know before she and I get on a plane together. I cannot have Natasha just showing up."

Kevin grabbed at his chin to think. "I know the issue. Alexis didn't have her memory. She was basically already integrated when she and I first met years ago. When Alexis started to gain back her memory, the differences between her multiple personalities became more pronounced. For example, Alexis had feelings for Lorenzo but now Alexis doesn't have feelings for Lorenzo. Why? Because the personalities are officially separate. Alexis is the host and Natasha becomes more apparent due to the fact that Alexis is getting her memory back. I just hope there aren't more personalities than Natasha or even Kristina, Sr."

"So you thought you were healing Alexis by helping her regain her memory?"

"I thought Alexis had a straight and simple case of DID that could be fixed with integration but it looks like Helena programmed personalities. Undoing that programming is almost impossible. It's like a ticking time bomb was embedded in the individual."

"Helena has done this to countless other children including my son. Franco was a science experiment for Helena. But why? What is her goal? You said to protect the Queen. That much I get but it doesn't explain a whole lot."

"Ever heard the phrase off with their heads?"

Anna smirked. "Of course."

"The Queen is out for blood."

"But which Queen has the power?" Anna grunted.

"Natasha isn't the Queen." Kevin argued.

"Kevin you and I both know that King Mikkosavich is alive. I have yet to tell Robert. You think he's high stung now? Wait until he and Luke find out that they didn't save the world after all and my son was a pawn used for a revenge that should have never taken place."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Let's get some ages out of the way. Alexis on the show and in this story is 47. We know this because, 10 years ago, Jason found Alexis' medical records when he was finding out about her pregnancy with Kristina and they showed that she was 37. Sam is 31 or 32? Alexis "supposedly" had Sam at the age of 16 at boarding school. *shakes fist at Bob Guza* For the purposes of this story Luis/Lorenzo are about 3-4 years older than Alexis. Sonny's age has been fabricated for years to pair him with younger women. But that dude is older than Alexis. I'm thinking Ned & Lois in their 40s. Brenda, A.J., and Jason are in their late 30s. Luke, Stefan, Stavros, Gallos, and Robert are in their mid to late 50s. Helena, King Mikkosavich, Mike, Faison, and Harlan are all in their in 70s. I'd say Anna, David, Skye, Epiphany, and Mac are around late 40s. Essentially Anna would have to be older than Alexis if Robin and Sam are about the same age. I'm guessing Monica and Tracy are 50s. Franco, Robin, Patrick, Nik, Dante, Dr. Jackson, and Dr. Lee are early 30s. Johnny, Ethan, Gia, Spinelli, Maxie, Lulu, Zander, Matt, Brook Lynn, Lucky, and Liz are all mid to late 20s. Michael & Kristina are 19-20ish. Morgan is about 16. Molly is in her tweens. Spencer, Cam, and Lila Rae are in the 5-7 age range. And somewhere Helena salivates. LOL Mikkos and Aidan are about a year and a half. Alana will be a year soon. Also, I was asked when Michael agreed to work for Lorenzo. He doesn't really work for Lo but he helped him. That happened in "What Happened on the Cassadine Islands?" in chapters 49 through 51 after Mikkos' 1**__**st**__** birthday party. **_

**Chapter 8**

_"I didn't think you were going to make it." Sam said to Alexis as she finally walked through the door of the Greystone._

_"I honestly forgot. Thanks to Michael, I'm here now. Dr. Jackson said that Mikkos is the most perfect healthy baby he's ever seen." Alexis pulled a tired Mikkos from his stroller._

_Sam often found herself fixated on babies ever since she lost Baby Lila. She observed Alexis tinker with Mikkos with care as he rested in his mother's lap. Sam had practiced what she wanted to say to Alexis concerning Mikkos after Jason returned from his visit in Greece. She tried to hide her deep concern for both of them. She didn't know how to bring up the subject. "You and I never actually defined my relationship to Mikkos." Sam danced with her words._

_"Like whether or not he is theoretically your son?"_

_"Yea. Exactly. Look, Jason and I have our hands completely full so you taking on this responsibility is beyond admirable, but…"_

_"Just spit it out Sam."_

_"There are days when I want him to be my son like here with me and me as his mother and Jason as his father. That was the original plan right?" Sam knew she was going down a road to nowhere._

_Alexis slowly nodded. "It was. So what do you want me to do about it? I'm a girl that likes solutions."_

_Sam wanted to hide feeling the reverberations of her mother's lawyer tone. She and Alexis had come far in their relationship and she didn't want to admit that Franco created the biggest wedge that sank in her heart every time she heard Jason talk about his son, Mikkos._

_"Sam, I have his favorite book that Jason brought for him. I can have everything shipped from Greece." Alexis pulled a stuffed giraffe from the stroller. "I heard Jason over the baby monitor insulting Mikkos' nursery décor so we're working on liking giraffes, but Lamby-Pie still wins at bedtime. Dr. Jackson will miss his favorite little patient. Calista will miss him too. She's his nanny. And Korina…"_

_"Who's Korina?" Sam asked irritated._

_"Korina used to be one of my nannies growing up on the island. She's old as dirt, but you'd never know it because she is full of this spunk. Calista is her daughter. So it's like a second family for him. And in the mornings, Korina likes to sing to Mikkos in Greek. And I can't forget about Andreas. God Andreas is sexy, but he's Mikkos' personal bodyguard so he should be guarding the baby and not me." Alexis drifted off on a tangent. "Do you want him? He is rightfully yours and I don't want to be accused of breaking promises that I've made to my children."_

_"You're making me feel like a creep." Sam rubbed her head to calm her brewing headache._

_"I'm not making you feel anything. Franco played God. But the devil is in the details and the reality is that Mikkos is mine and Jason's. But the day you and I sat down in Kelly's, I wanted to give you and Jason the child that you couldn't have. You may feel like a creep, but I feel like I failed."_

_Sam squirmed. "You love him so much. I can tell. You always did. I was flaky through the whole thing. I went off on this 'find my father' adventure to feel useful while you ate Sonny's terrible soup and got swollen feet."_

_Alexis snuggled Mikkos. "I do love him. I know Jason told you about the incident in the stables. That's why you're bringing this up?"_

_"What incident in the stables?"_

_"Wow. He does keep his mouth shut. I know Jason is concerned about my sanity as a mother. This hasn't been an easy time for me, but my murderous brother is out there somewhere. And the most precious people to me are my children and I've been a little on edge about it. You, Kristina, Molly, Mikkos, and even Nikolas, I will fight for till my death." _

Alexis knew that something was terribly wrong but she wasn't sure what. She wasn't fully aware of the damage that Natasha was capable of doing aside from murder. Alexis trusted that Kevin knew what he was doing in trying to help her but Helena was the mastermind. Helena managed to stay many steps ahead of them all.

When Alexis arrived at Wonderland with both Spencer and Alana in tow, her headache grew worse once she flipped on the lights in the foyer. She looked up at the sparkling crystal chandelier that in her mind was spinning above her head. Alexis held tight to a sleeping Alana believing that the large diamond would fall from the ceiling and pillage them to their deaths. Alexis held her breath and hurried to the living room to get away from the terrorizing light fixture. "Spencer!" She searched realizing that she hadn't heard a peep from the little boy. "Prince Spencer Cassadine! Where are you?"

"I'm upstairs!" Spencer went to the top of the stairs and called down to Alexis. "Can I play in my room?"

Alexis looked up at him. "Of course…just check in with me please?" _This place makes me irate._ She thought to herself.

_"This is Mikkos' first snow." Sam said._

_"Poor kid. He's like Kenny from South Park." Michael joked._

_Mikkosavich was ready for action. Alexis' was in overprotective mother mode bundling him in coats, thermals, hats, and mittens. He could barely see from his coverings._

_"Let the kid breathe. How about removing a layer or two Alexis?" Jason asked._

_"We know Ms. A knows about removing layers." Max howled. He held up his phone. "Oh I got the text."_

_Alexis was subtly mortified wanting to add Sonny to her murder list. She put Mikkos onto the ground. "Who all got the goddamn text?"_

_Sam grabbed her phone from her pocket and flipped through it. Her eyes bugged from her head. "You had sex with Sonny in the elevator? What the hell?"_

_Michael checked his phone. "Wow."_

_Nikolas shook his head. "I'll give you a lecture later."_

_"Did anybody die?" Brenda asked. "I don't think that counts as grief sex. Were you stuck in the elevator?"_

_"Yes!" Alexis exclaimed._

_"Oh, that's we're about to die sex. Doesn't count." Brenda snipped._

_Alexis glared at Brenda._

_Mikkos stood up braving the snow. He took his time taking a couple steps towards Jason and Sam._

_"Oh my God!" Sam shrieked. "My boy is walking." She dropped to the ground to catch him in case he fell over._

_Chills went through Alexis' body as she watched Mikkos walk towards Sam. Jason got on his knees next to Sam encouraging him to keep trying. The unpleasant feelings flashed on Alexis' face._

_Brenda leaned on Nikolas. "Awkward much?" She whispered._

_"Just a little...if you know the history." Nikolas said._

_Mikkos made it to his destination and took safety in Sam's arms._

_"Did anyone get that?" Sam asked picking up Mikkos and showering him with kisses._

Alexis lay down on the couch with Alana hoping to finally get some much-needed rest but the doorbell rang. "You gotta be kidding me." She secured Alana on the couch and got up to rush to the door. "Who is it?"

"Alcazar."

Alexis grumbled before opening the door. "Come in."

Lorenzo walked in but paused as the floor grabbed his attention. "Did Jason and Sam do something differently here?"

Alexis closed the door. "What do you mean?" She turned down the lights.

"This floor looks...kind of like my dreams."

"It's the same floor that's always been here." Alexis was also perplexed.

"Sorry. I haven't been sleeping well. I just wanted to see how Alana and Spencer are doing? I heard you knocked the shit outta Jason. Good job. He deserved it."

Alexis' jaw dropped. "No. I didn't. I haven't seen Jason since the accident."

Lorenzo rolled his eyes. "Do you remember stopping by the church and threatening to kill Skye?"

Alexis shook her head. "No. I didn't threaten anyone."

"Alexis, I think you're getting worse."

* * *

Kevin had enough of the day and decided to head home to give Lucy his undivided attention. He packed up a couple files and headed for the door but was stopped by Helena. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Helena shoved Kevin back into his office and slammed the door closed. "Stay away from Natasha."

Kevin put down his briefcase. "Am I hitting a nerve Helena?"

Helena smiled. "You're doing my dirty work. I'm quite thrilled."

"Then why do I need to stay away from her?"

"Sometimes the creation turns on its creator. Be careful…Natasha might soon see you as the enemy. And I don't want your blood on my hands."

"That'll never happen."

Helena smirked. "I know all the codes for all the programs in Alexis' head. Alexis Davidovitch thought she could get away from me. She was almost healed. And then that pesky Luke Spencer came along and made the right moves on the board to trigger Natasha. That's why I love him so."

"You're telling me Luke is the one that got this ball rolling?"

"Alexis' memory was practically erased until Luke Spencer reminded Alexis of everything. The death of Kristen Bergman. The fact that she was Natasha. It was all Luke."

"Helena, Alexis wouldn't have DID were it not for the torture you put her through as a child and you know it. So don't go blaming anyone else for this. What I need to know is who else did you do this to? Franco? Spencer? Lucky? Nikolas? What about Samantha?"

Helena tapped her finger against her cheek. "I've already said too much. I did nothing but provide a home for a little orphaned girl."

"You stripped her of her identity. You abused her. You allowed your sons to abuse her. I am not giving up on helping Alexis get through this. When I look at her I see my brother Ryan Chamberlain. I couldn't help him and I'll regret that to the day that I die. And I hope you rot in hell for everything that you did to that little girl."

* * *

At the PCPD, Robert went over to Lucky and Dante. "You guys run forensics on that gun I brought in? I need those results asap." He slammed a file on Lucky's desk and walked away.

Lucky got up and followed Robert back to his office. "Everything ok?"

Robert took a seat behind his desk. "I should be asking you that. How you holding up?"

"I gotta be the strong one. I can't have my mom losing it again."

"You realize Lulu could be paralyzed?"

Lucky took a seat. "Yea. That's what I heard. Any chance Anna will need Jason and me to go with her to find Mikkos?"

"You're definitely Luke Spencer's son. Trying to get away?"

"I need to be busy. And I know you're worried about your grandson. Anna's not doing great."

"She's dealing. I think you're most useful here helping me figure out who shot Lulu."

"You think my dad did it don't you?"

Robert looked away. "Strong chance. I'm not letting Luke go down for this."

"But what if he did it? You're jeopardizing your job."

"Luke, Laura, and I saved the world. Don't forget that. I'm not concerned."

Lucky smiled reassured.

* * *

Lois went down the stairs and opened the front door of the Quartermaine mansion to Luke. "Lukey!" She hugged Luke. "You ok?"

Luke sauntered inside. "Where's my wife? I need a drinking partner."

Lila Rae ran down the stairs. "You're just in time for tea."

Tracy stepped out of the family room. "How sweet. I give you permission to have tea with the girlchild."

Edward hurried down the stairs. "Where is Ned?"

Ned walked into the foyer. "Here Grandfather."

Edward shook his finger at Ned. "We need a meeting! Where is A.J.?"

"Why do we need a meeting with A.J.?" Ned asked.

Luke threw up hands. "I just came over to get drunk with my wife."

Lila Rae grabbed Luke's hand. "We can get drunk on tea in the rose garden." She pulled his hand barely able to get Luke to budge.

Luke sighed. "Alright Little Lady. Tea it is."

Big Alice ran out of the kitchen. "I will set up tea for three?"

"Two!" Tracy yelled.

* * *

Lorenzo waited in the kitchen for Alexis to come back down from tucking Alana into her crib. He went to the double glass doors and watched the pool water flowing as if it was the sea.

"What do you mean when you say I'm getting worse?"

Lorenzo turned to Alexis. "You're blacking out. I know because it happens to me too. After Jason thought he killed me, I sought therapy. As a result, my memories of my childhood were completely erased or so I believed. But you get a feeling that deep down inside of you something isn't right."

Alexis found the tea kettle and decided to boil water. "You're right. It's easier to call on Natasha. How is Skye? How are you and Skye?"

Lorenzo leaned on the counter. "It's unbelievable the difference. You're a completely different person. Skye is ok. She loved Jax."

"I did too. How close are you to Johnny?"

"I don't know that you can define us as close."

"Can you talk to him?"

Lorenzo eyed her with suspicious. "About what?"

"He might be the father of this baby and…"

Lorenzo exhaled. "Wow…" He moved away from her. "You and Johnny?" He chuckled.

"Why are you laughing?"

Lorenzo continued to laugh. "What do you want from me?"

"Just ask him to back off. He doesn't have anyone to…"

"Tell him what to do? You think I can control Johnny Zacharra? Sorry. He's got dirt on me. If he's looking for a custody lawyer, tell him to call me. I got his back."

"Why are you such a fucking asshole?"

"You have a selective memory Alexis. You should get that under control."

_Alexis rushed down the dark halls and to Mikko's office. She found Lorenzo going through a box of documents. He looked up. "You're just in time." He said as he handed her a stack of papers. "These are some of Mikko's business associates. Some dead and some alive."_

_"This is a bad idea. Why would you expose yourself to Nik that way?"_

_"What did you find out about ELQ?" He asked._

_"Edward wasn't around. Don't worry. I'll get what you need fairly quickly. He's about to be occupied anyway."_

_"With what?"_

_"He's hosting Sam and Jason's wedding. His golden boy is coming home."_

_Lorenzo took a seat and watched Alexis sift through the papers. "Sam's attraction to Jason Morgan disgusts me."_

_"Speaking of." Alexis pulled the custody papers from her briefcase. "Can you speed read through those? Jason wants joint custody."_

_Lorenzo took the papers and did a quick glance. "And? Give it to him."_

_"Just like that?" Alexis snapped her fingers. "Shocking coming from you of all people."_

_"I'm an advocate of father's rights."_

_"A criminal that stands for something."_

_"Stand for nothing, you fall for anything. I have to thank you for not badmouthing me to Sam. I do appreciate that. I don't know that I can say the same for what Skye tells Lila Rae."_

_"That woman is insufferable. The fact that she helped use you to take my daughter away from me makes me even more determined to ruin her in the process."_

_Lorenzo clapped his hands. "Bravo! Natasha's getting her fire back. Have I told you that even though you're an asshole for killing my brother, I have to commend you on the dance you did planting the murder on Brenda and Jason."_

_"Didn't think I had it in me did you?" She asked._

_Satisfaction colored Lorenzo's face. "Natasha, I don't know why I doubted you. It's kind of surreal for me with you being here and sticking your neck out for me. I just hope when all is done, your sister and my brother didn't die in vain."_

* * *

Nikolas and Dr. Jackson wandered around through the tunnels with no luck in their search. "Let's stop by my grandmother's lair."

"Your grandmother has a lair? What the fuck is wrong with your family? I didn't go to medical school for this drama."

Nikolas put his index finger to his lips. "Quiet." He led Dr. Jackson through the darkness of a tunnel to Helena's room. His eyes fell on a chess board set up on Helena's desk.

"Do you play chess?"

Both Nikolas and Dr. Jackson bolted into the room for the nearest corner. Helena walked in removing her gloves from her hand. "Dr. Jackson? Do you play?"

Nikolas glanced at Dr. Jackson. He felt safe enough to stand from his cowering. "I apologize Grandmother…for intruding."

"You're always welcome Nikolas. Though I am a little upset with you right now."

Nikolas stood before Helena. "The title…I behaved terribly. I was angry. I hope you understand that?"

Helena tossed her gloves onto her desk and pushed a chair up to the other side. "I want to play. Dr. Jackson? Do you play?"

Dr. Jackson looked at Nikolas who nodded that it was ok to respond. "My father taught me."

"I'm white." Helena sat down and set up the board. "I'm guessing that means you're black?"

Dr. Jackson looked at his hands. "Last time I checked I was."

Nikolas burst out in laughter. "Have a seat. Play. I'll watch."

Dr. Jackson took a seat and waited for Helena to set up the board. "So my father once told me that he would label certain moves as messages."

"Messages for whom?" Helena moved a chess piece across the board.

Dr. Jackson made a move. "He worked for the CIA."

Helena raised her brow but remained quiet making another move.

Nikolas stood and gnawed on his fingernails watching his grandmother's mannerisms.

"I love chess. My father taught me as well. It was our favorite thing to do after dinner by the fire." Helena shared.

"Don't you think it's racist that white always moves first?" Dr. Jackson chuckled.

Helena shrugged. "The only thing I care about is the King." She tapped her white King piece.

Dr. Jackson agreed. "Right. I bet you wish he was still alive."

Nikolas grew excited never having seen his grandmother so calm and responsive since her interactions with Spencer. He prayed that Dr. Jackson wouldn't blow it knowing that Helena was one to not be fooled.

"I don't like discussions to occur while we're playing unless I'm teaching my subjects a lesson." Helena relaxed in her chair waiting for Dr. Jackson to make another move. Her attention was slowly withdrawn from the game to the figure of a man in her doorway.

Nikolas turned his head in the same direction to King Mikkosavich. "Grandfather…"

Dr. Jackson turned around in his chair in disbelief that he pulled it off. The man that had been "dead" and frozen for years was standing in the middle of Helena's lair. He quickly got up from his seat not knowing the proper greeting since he merely got a quick look the night of the Nurses' Ball.

King Mikkosavich offered his hand to Dr. Jackson. "Thank you Son. You gave me life. I will reward you for your work. I don't forget friends."

"You're welcome Sir." Dr. Jackson shook King Mikkosavich's hand and nudged Nikolas forward.

King Mikkosavich jerked Nikolas to him and kissed his face. "My grandson. You were just a baby when I last saw you." He hugged Nikolas tight not wanting to let go. He adored him despite his frustrations.

Nikolas pulled from his grandfather. "I more than admire you. You gotta show me how to work that weather machine."

"In due time." King Mikkosavich watched Helena still studying the chess board. "Are you ignoring me Helena?"

"I'm not happy with you at the moment."

"Who knows that you're alive?" Nikolas asked.

"Natasha, Stefan, and Valentin…"

"Who is Valentin?" Nikolas asked.

Helena cackled and wiped the board clean with the swipe of her hand. Pieces spilled across the desk. She stood up and flicked a lever on her desk to open one of the walls. "I don't want to stay here to listen to the explanation regarding another one of your bastard children." She disappeared through the walls which slowly closed behind her.

King Mikkosavich wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Valentin is the product of an affair. I admit I had many."

Dr. Jackson lightly punched Mikkosavich in the arm. "Damn you're a pimp."

"We all make mistakes." Nikolas rubbed his hands together wanting to ask so many questions. "Where does Valentin live?"

"You know him as Gallos."

Nikolas couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Gallos? Why didn't he tell me?"

"You'd have to ask him that question." King Mikkosavich readjusted the chess pieces on the board. "I sucked at chess. Your grandmother is obsessed with this game."

Nikolas was still a bit speechless. "Who is Gallos' mother?"

Dr. Jackson squirmed a bit. "I should probably leave. I feel like I'm invading on a private family moment."

"Stay Dr. Jackson." King Mikkosavich took a seat and beckoned for Nikolas to play. "How good are you two at keeping secrets?"

Nikolas flipped the chair around and straddled it more and more intrigued by his grandfather. "My lips are completely sealed."

"Her name was Alexandra."

"Oh snap…" Dr. Jackson pulled up a chair. "I need some popcorn for this."

King Mikkosavich laughed with a twinkle in his eye. "She was married as was I. Valentin was hers and my first son."

"Whoa!" Nikolas sat upright. "Stavros isn't the oldest?"

King Mikkosavich shook his head. "He is not."

"Shit." Dr. Jackson covered his eyes.

Nikolas looked down to the ground. "So I wasn't going to be the heir in the first place? All the shit I went through and Stavros wasn't even your firstborn? Why did you deny Gallos his birthright?"

"I wanted Alexandra to live."

"I'm guessing she's dead?" Dr. Jackson slipped his hand from his eyes.

"I don't understand?" Nikolas asked. "I really like Gallos. He and I have been business partners. It was him and Lorenzo Alcazar that helped rebuild this family financially. I didn't have a lot of use for Lorenzo…"

"Nikolas." King Mikkosavich looked his grandson in the eyes. "Alexandra was Lorenzo and Luis' mother as well."

Dr. Jackson gasped. "Oh shit…this is what we get for agreeing to a secret."

Nikolas stood up from the chair. "It all makes sense. I never understood why you willed everything to Sam. Not that I cared. I love Sam but…do Gallos and Lorenzo know?"

"Nikolas, I don't know what they know. I'm assuming they don't. And I willed everything to Samantha to punish Stavros for refusing to disclose her whereabouts to me."

* * *

Sam finally decided to head home with the promise from Epiphany that Jason would only need to stay in the hospital another day. She walked into the house quiet as the day started to wane. Rain rested at the foot of the stairs and barely moved even at the sight of Sam arriving through the door. Sam pressed her nose in Rain's fur. "Spinelli gave you a bath didn't he?" Sam paused at the sound of a voice singing through the baby monitor. "Who is that?" She continued up the stairs.

Alexis sang and snuggled Alana as she rocked with her in the rocking chair. "The other night, Dear, as I lay sleeping I dreamed I held you in my arms. When I awoke, Dear, I was mistaken and I hung my head and cried; You are my sunshine. My only sunshine. You make me happy. When skies are grey. You'll never know Dear how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."

Sam opened the door for a moment to watch Alana at peace in Alexis' arms. Some of the anger that Sam felt for her mother dissipated. She decided against interrupting and closed the door. "How can I hate her when she always tries so hard?"

* * *

Zander condensed everything he had down to two backpacks—one for him and one for Mikkos. He placed them by the door. He could hear Mikkos screaming at the top of his lungs with displeasure. "What is going on?" He marched into the kitchen to find the nanny trying her best to feed Mikkos his dinner. "He can do it by himself."

The nanny placed the bowl of spaghetti on Mikkos' highchair tray. "I don't know what else to do. He hasn't eaten in days. The doctor said that he's losing weight."

"Momma." Mikkos angrily shoved his fist against his mouth and sobbed.

Zander grabbed the bowl and picked up the spoon. "We gotta eat. We can't go to our next destination if you don't eat."

Mikkos quieted down and started to hum underneath his sniffles.

"What's he doing?"

"Singing?" The nanny shrugged her shoulders and tried her best to listen.

"So you like a song before you eat huh?" Zander picked up the spoon and directed it to Mikkos' mouth. "Come on. Just a couple bites."

Mikkos turned his head away from the spoon and continued to hum.

"What is that song?" Zander asked.

"Hopefully not that purple dinosaur. Sounds like it." The nanny shuttered at the thought.

_Sam sang to Mikkos as he fed himself in his high chair. "I love you. You love me. We're a happy family with a great big hug and a kiss from me to you." She kissed his nose. "Won't you say you love me too."_

_Mikkos clapped his hands and signed I love you to Sam._

_Sam was in awe by Mikkos' achievement. "Who taught you how to do that? You are a rock star I swear."_

_Jason went into the kitchen with Alana. "I heard a little purple dinosaur in here."_

_"I know you don't care for the purple dinosaur." Sam helped Mikkos finish his food._

_"I'll take the purple dinosaur over everything we've gone through the past couple of weeks."_

Zander decided to take his chances. "I love you. You love me. We're a happy family with a great big hug and kiss from me to you. Won't you say you love me too."

Mikkos tapped the tip of his nose and signed _I love you_. He then pressed his fingers together.

"What's he signing?" Zander asked.

"More. He wants more." The nanny smiled.

Harlan walked in. "When are you leaving? And when do you plan to return?"

Zander put down the bowl with Mikkos finally giving in to eat. "We won't be gone long. Helena called. She wants me to lay low."

"You can't do that here?"

"Are you're implying that you'll miss me?" Zander sneered.

"You're the brawn of this operation. You're not afraid to pull the trigger."

"I need the money from this next hit."

"I've offered it to you."

Zander got up and pulled Mikkos out of his high chair. "I don't want any more money from you." He put Mikkos down on the ground. "I need to earn it on my own."

"There's always a cost working for Helena Cassadine. You do realize this do you not?"

Zander slowly nodded realizing what he was getting into. "Killing Ric Lansing felt good. I didn't think it would but I gained my son back as a result. For a minute I regretted it. The last thing I want to teach my son is that murder is ok but I'd be lying if I said I didn't get some satisfaction from it."

"What did this Ric Lansing do to you?"

"He tried to ruin my life. He even turned Alexis against me. I don't know that I can ever forgive anybody in that town."

Harlan looked down at Mikkos sitting on the floor playing with the picture that Zander gave to him. "Isn't that a picture of her?"

Zander's face turned red. "That was when she was kind and loving to me. But that changed. She turned against me like everyone else. I'd prefer to remember the Alexis in that picture."

* * *

A.J. sat next to Ned and across from his grandfather reading his iPad. "V.C.? What does that stand for?"

"According to Agent Bates, V.C. stands for Valentin Cassadine." Ned was annoyed by his grandfather's renewed admiration for A.J.

"Who the hell is Valentin Cassadine?" Edward grumbled.

"If we knew, I'd be knocking on his door this minute." Ned got up from his chair and leaned on the fireplace.

"What percentage of ELQ does Lorenzo Alcazar own?" A.J. asked.

"If you want to know, you can just ask me." Lorenzo walked in. "I own 30% of ELQ and I have no intentions of giving it up."

"Who is Valentin Cassadine?" Ned asked. "How about you giving that up since you care so much about the company?"

"I don't know nor do I care." Lorenzo took Ned's seat. "If we're having a formal board meeting I'd like a say."

"Who in the hell even let you in? !" Edward shouted.

"Alice loves my smile." Lorenzo grinned.

A.J. put down his iPad. "Look Lo…what if we gave you an offer you can't refuse?"

"I have plenty of money. There's no amount of money that you can offer that can make me give up knowing I have a say in ELQ."

"What if I talked Skye into joint custody of Lila Rae?" A.J. asked.

"It's nice to know you still wheel and deal with children as pawns. That's a game I don't play A.J."

Ned snorted. "One thing Lorenzo and I agree on. I just need to know one thing." He gazed at Lorenzo. "Did Alexis help you raid the Jakarta accounts?"

"Helena Cassadine is responsible for raiding those accounts." Lorenzo stood up. "I assume Valentin has something to do with her. Why don't you schedule a meeting with Mrs. Cassadine?"

A.J. laughed. "Impossible. Helena doesn't talk business. She just does what the fuck she wants."

Lorenzo looked down at A.J. "I don't trust you. And they shouldn't either." He left the room and on the way out, he noticed Luke and Lila Rae in the rose garden having tea.

Luke held up his tea cup. "Do you say cheers for tea?"

Lila Rae clinked her cup against Luke's. "Cheers. To tea parties every day."

Luke sipped his tea. "My little girl…her name is Lulu. I remember the day that I found her about your age and she was having a tea party with a vampire."

Lila Rae gasped. "A vampire? He was a real vampire?"

"He was. His name was Count Vlad." Luke sounded his spooky voice.

"What did he look like? Did he have fangs?"

"No fangs. But he's definitely a vampire."

"Was Lulu scared? I'd be scared."

Tracy went out and massaged Luke's shoulders. "I'm sure that Lulu would feel so much better if Luke the vampire slayer would visit her in the hospital."

Lila Rae was even more in awe. "You're a vampire slayer? Do you know Buffy?"

"I sure do know Buffy." He looked up at Tracy. "Who the hell is Buffy?"

"Luke knows everyone Babe. He saved the world." Tracy joked.

Luke's heart fell. "I saved the world and I can't even get up enough guts to see my own kid."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Gia knew with all of the madness going on around her that it was a bad time to breech the issue of paternity with Mike but she couldn't stay away from Kelly's. It felt like her neighborhood diner in the city where her favorite waiter knew her order and could drum up a conversation that didn't come off as too intrusive. Like Kristina would do, Gia showed up early in the morning with her iPad charged up and her spot at the counter waiting for her to spend her time with Mike. He didn't mind. He loved being graced by what he called Gia's "angelic" face. Even her silence of reading legal briefs or playing a word against her spelling-challenged opponent made Mike feel whole again. Seeing Sonny and Alexis with Spencer the day before drudged up memories. They reminded Mike of the difficult times that he and Sonny went through to save Courtney from the clutches of A.J. Quartermaine and the games A.J. played with her in exchange for Michael. But Mike also thought about how Sonny and Alexis formed an unspeakable bond over Courtney.

Kelly's was the place to be to reveal news both good and bad. Bad news could be fed with a side of warm apple pie to take away some of the sting. Elizabeth decided it would be a good day for her and Cameron to spend one on one time while Cam snacked on his favorite peanut butter cookies. As they made it to the door, Elizabeth watched Cam lock up his shiny new bike to the pole as Lucky taught him. He pulled his helmet from his dark shaggy hair and tied it to his bike. His new habit was to check his watch, given to him by Alexis, to make sure it endured the trip. He was determined to prove to his mother that he knew how to take care of nice things.

"Elizabeth!" Gia jumped off her stool and ran to Elizabeth who was settling Cam in his chair at the table.

Elizabeth gave Gia a warm hug. "Got time to catch up? I rarely have free time."

"I see you're occupied." Gia reach down and rustled Cam's hair. "Such a striking resemblance to you know who."

"I'm glad you brought that up." Elizabeth smirked. "He's been talking about you know who a lot. I think it's kind of bugging Lucky a little."

"That's understandable."

"Yea. Lucky is all he's known but since Alexis gave him that watch..."

Cam shot his arm up towards Gia. "See!"

Gia grabbed Cam's arm and studied the watch. "I know this watch." She pulled up a chair and sat down across from Cam. "Alexis gave that watch to Zander."

"That's what she said." Cam settled in his chair kicking his feet back and forth. "Where can I find him?"

Elizabeth sighed. "And this is where Lucky's face turns red." She took a seat next to Cam. "He's convinced that Zander is still alive."

"But he is." Cam snipped back.

Gia leaned in to Cam. "Zander was one of my good friends. We had our ups and downs but I know deep down inside he was a good guy. Sadly he's gone."

Cam tapped his chest. "I never got to meet him. Is he taking care of Jakey?"

Elizabeth nodded slowly.

"Yes of course!" Gia exclaimed. "Are you kidding me? Jakey is having a great time with Alec, Zander, and Uncle Ric."

"And now Uncle Jax…." Elizabeth's thoughts trailed off.

"I have missed a lot."

"How does it feel to be back?"

Gia stared past Elizabeth at Mike putting out the morning's fresh pastries. "It's scary. I kind of came back in the thick of it. There's so much I need to say to people. I wanted to get my personal life back in order. My career has been soaring but I feel a disconnect with the people that I left behind."

* * *

Kristina opened her eyes to a soccer match in her own head except hers was alcohol induced. She took her pillow and buried her head under it. The anger seemed up within her. She peeked over at her nightstand at the bottle of Scotch half-empty. Her hand swung at the bottle sending it flying to the ground and what was left of the Scotch pouring across her wood floor. She could hear footsteps creep to her door and the squeak of it open. A glimmer of light poured into her room. _I'm a failure_ were the only words that would come to mind.

_"But that's not why I want to string you up. I called Yale, because I care about your future. I care about your education. You were the model student in high school. And I know how hard you tried to get into Yale. So it's not about Yale, it's about seeing you squander an opportunity that some starving child in Africa would kill for. I called Yale, Princess Kristina, and I was told that you were put on academic probation halfway through your first semester. Your Princess title didn't get you very far, because I was also told that you were practically expelled for excessive drinking. And then I was told that you plead with the Dean to stay in. So thumbs up for the fight. But you failed academic probation and you were kicked out of school at the end of the semester."_

_Kristina cried. "I'm not a failure. I just found something that fit me better than Yale. I left Yale before it left me."_

_Alexis' head exploded. She couldn't see anything but the red of Kristina's dress and her red cheeks soaked with tears. "You're not hearing a thing I'm saying to you right now. Kristina, you failed out of college and you lied to everyone about it."_

_"You're not hearing me! I'm not a failure!" Kristina shouted at her mother and dared to get in her face._

_Alexis couldn't hold back. Natasha took over. Alexis shoved Kristina away with the same force she gave Luis off the hotel balcony. Kristina fell into the bar knocking the glasses and liquor to the floor. Max and Milo both ran into the living room hearing the crash of glass._

Kristina reached from under her pillow for her Lamby and held it close to her. She found comfort in its fur and the innocence that it made her feel.

"It's nice to know when I'm not here for you that you still have Lamby-Pie."

Kristina tossed her pillow aside and sat in her bed knowing her mother's voice. She was embarrassed as her eyes fell to the part of the floor drenched in Scotch and broken glass.

Alexis took a seat on Kristina's bed. "I just left Wonderland. I stayed the night to watch over Alana and Spencer while Sam got some rest. She's pretty worried about Jason."

"I know I called you a dozen times. Is there a reason you're not responding? Dad said you haven't been yourself lately."

Alexis' face went flush. "I wish he hadn't told you that."

"I'm not a child anymore. Yea I still sleep with my little lamb but I deserve to know what's going on with my family."

"Kristina, sometimes I just don't have the answers to all of your questions. Sometimes I just like to think. I'm thinking right now about Mikkos and whether he has his Lamby and if the tracking device is really working. How come we haven't heard from his kidnapper? Anna and Robert fail to realize that I'm not dumb. I know that this isn't good." Her eyes welled with tears.

"You don't think he's dead do you?"

Alexis wiped her eyes. "Who would kill that precious little boy? I know you didn't care for him but did you ever get a good look at him? Even at the dawn of morning I'd wake to an unbelievable smile on his face."

_Kristina went into Stefan's study with Lamby in her hand. "Mikkosavich! I have something for you." She held up the lamb in the air._

_Kristina could hear Mikkos' giggling down the hall. She poked around on Stefan's desk and found a stack of black and white photos. She picked up a photo of a young beautiful girl, in her late teenage years, mischievously reacting to the photographer._

_Mikkos finally made his crawl to Stefan's with Nikolas behind him as his a guide. "He drives like his mother banging into walls and everything." Nikolas finished buttoning his shirt._

_"Where you going?" Kristina asked._

_"Court. I want to be in court to support Alexis."_

_Kristina got on the floor and reached for Mikkos. "Is this the Franco case?"_

_"Yeap. It is." Nikolas noticed the lamb. "I just took Mikkos out of his crib and there's a lamb in there. Maybe Alexis replaced it?"_

_Kristina dangled the lamb at Mikkos unwilling to move from the door. "I think he hates me. Does that mean I can keep mine? I'd rather keep mine."_

_Nikolas picked up his coat from the chair. "I hope he doesn't hate you because tag you're it. You're stuck with him and Molly for a couple hours. After court, I have meetings and I think it would be good for you guys to spend some time together."_

Kristina broke from her daydream. "I'm ashamed that I felt that way about him. He knew how I felt about him."

Alexis moved closer to Kristina. "Mikkos taught us all a lesson of unconditional love. For me to be able to remember his beautiful smile and not think about Franco is a relief."

Morgan was awakened on Michael and Kristina's living room couch to a banging on the front door of the penthouse. "Who is it?" He scratched his head.

"It's Carol!"

"Who is Carol?" He threw off his covers and stumbled to the door and flung it open. "Oh God. Not you again."

Carol barged in. "I was told that the bride to be would be here?"

"There's only one woman here and I don't recall her claiming that she's getting married."

"Alexis Davis?"

Morgan jerked remembering the booze-filled night that he and Kristina shared. He was just as much of a culprit as she was. "Crap. Alexis is here?"

"You look guilty." Carol pointed at him in an accusatory manner.

Alexis walked down the stairs. "Good Morning Morgan. Glad to see you back."

Morgan's looked to the ground. "Good Morning Ms. Davis."

"Ms. Davis?" Alexis was puzzled as she reached out to Morgan to embrace him.

Morgan was cautious praying Alexis wouldn't detect the scent of Scotch on his breath. He hugged her but ducked away hoping she didn't notice. "Sorry. Alexis. It's been awhile since I've seen you."

Carol placed her hand onto Alexis' belly. "So I heard it through the grapevine that I went through to find you that there's a little one in there."

Alexis smiled. "There is."

"You're pregnant?" Morgan was alarmed. "My dad's getting _another_ kid?"

Alexis blushed. "He is."

"So!" Carol removed her hand and flipped through the binder under her arm. "We've got a similar situation as Sam here. The bigger you get, the less pretty dresses available to you. I don't know how to say this in a less offensive way."

"I think pregnant women are beautiful." Morgan crossed his arms. "You could put Alexis in a toga and she'd look hot."

Alexis was taken aback. "Not you too."

"What?" Morgan shrieked. "You're glowing."

"Really?" Alexis touched her face.

"She may be glowing but unless she plans to walk down the aisle naked, that doesn't help me. I hate to do a wedding in two weeks but I can make it work if Mr. Corinthos is willing to write me a hefty check."

Alexis waved her hands. "No. The wedding is delayed at the moment. My child is missing."

"There really are people who shouldn't procreate." Carol ground her teeth.

Alexis went to the door and opened it. "I think you should go now. I'll have my assistant call you when I'm ready to go through this process."

Carol rolled her eyes and stormed out of the penthouse with Alexis slamming the door behind her. She let out a deep sigh and headed towards the kitchen. Morgan followed her and noticed Alexis grab a mop and cleaning supplies.

"I can clean up." Morgan leaned on the door frame.

"There's a bottle of liquor broken on Kristina's floor."

"I partook in that liquor." Morgan reluctantly raised his hand. "It was a rough night for both of us. Kristina mentioned that her little brother was missing. I never got to meet him."

"That's right. You were sent away." Alexis studied Morgan and saw the little orphaned girl reflected in him.

_"Uh..." Alexis crossed her arms unsure of how to answer the question. "I don't know. I feel like my father and Helena were a packaged deal. I couldn't have one without the other involved. If that is the case, then my answer is no. I'd like to continue to forget about King Mikkosavich. I spent my teenage years getting away from Greece. I can't believe I'm here now." She took Dr. Jackson's hand and led him outside of Mikkosavich Alexander's nursery. "I could not wait to leave this place when my father told me that I was being shipped off to boarding school."_

_"You went to boarding school? Sounds typical for a daughter of a king."_

_Dr. Jackson and Alexis continued down the corridor to Alexis' office nearby. "I was 14 when I was shipped off to New Hampshire. You'd think I'd have this incredible homesickness but I was completely reborn."_

_"Did you keep in touch with your brothers?"_

_"Ha..." Alexis sighed. "You know nothing about anything do you? Welcome to the Cassadines where everything of the past either gets forgotten or used as a means to rape and pillage your victims. Dr. Jackson I didn't know I had brothers until years later."_

_"Whoa..."_

_"I was Alexis Davidovitch the lowly Cassadine cousin. I was to be grateful to be sent away to this wonderful, expensive institution of higher learning."_

"Alexis? You ok?" Morgan flashed his hand in front of Alexis' face. "You seem a bit…drunk?" He smiled.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen. And no I'm not old enough to drink. I know that already."

"I was reminded of when I was sent away to boarding school. I was fourteen. How do you like military school?"

Morgan let out a nervous laugh since it had been awhile since an adult asked him what he liked or cared about. "I think I like it because it's not being here. I used to love to go sailing with Jax."

"Seems Spencer enjoyed it too."

"Jax told me that Spencer was his son. I'm not usually the jealous type but I admit I felt low on the order of importance."

Alexis touched her stomach. "Don't think that this baby is going to ruin your relationship with Sonny. He's not perfect but I would never let that happen. All of his children are important to him. And I know Jax felt the same way about you."

"Not when I tell him that I'm gay."

Alexis gasped.

Morgan wanted to coil up and roll into the corner. It just slipped. "I think I'm gonna be sick." He grabbed his stomach rushed to the kitchen sink vomiting up what was left of his late night partying with Kristina.

Alexis tossed the mop aside and tried her best to comfort Morgan. He felt her soft hands on his back. He was too ashamed to look up from the soiled sink.

"Is it the alcohol or the anxiety?"

Morgan dropped his head even further down and prayed the convulsions in his body had subsided. He lifted his head and looked at her.

Alexis kept her hand pressed against his back. "I used to carry a small brown paper bag with me everywhere I'd go. My first day at boarding school, the girls asked what the brown bag was for. I fancied myself to be a bit of a poet. I liked to use metaphors to try to describe my life without having to outright state how dysfunctional my family really was. So I told the girls that it was my brown bag of pain."

Morgan grabbed a towel and held it to his mouth. "What was it for?"

"I had debilitating anxiety attacks. I had moments where I'd literally be gasping for air to breathe. I even passed out a couple times because I'd forget to breathe. It started the day after my mother was killed. I was left alone with Helena. She used to like to hold a dagger blade against my throat and tell me that if I breathe, she'd slit it."

Morgan coughed into the towel until Alexis patted him on the back to ease his discomfort. "Wow. I thought Sonny being in the mob was bad."

"Take deep breaths. How long have you known?"

Morgan cleared his throat. "Probably about a year. Something felt off. The way I thought I was supposed to feel, I didn't feel."

Alexis nodded with understanding. "Your secret is safe with me. I'd be lying if I didn't say that I don't know what Sonny would say or how he'd react."

"Michael didn't react well. I didn't tell Kristina. Though I might have last night. I don't remember much from last night."

"I would hope that I raised Kristina to be a loving big sister to you. She has her flaws. I know she didn't care for Mikkos or understand how he fell in her life and she in his but I think it's all coming together." Alexis went to grab the mop. "I shouldn't speak too soon since I have clean up a liquor spill in her room."

Morgan took the mop from Alexis' hand. "I'll clean it up. You being here right now means everything to me. Thank you for telling me about being at boarding school. It really helps."

* * *

Everything seemed to start off great for Johnny until his run in with Alexis at Kelly's the day before. He was honored that Jason entrusted his precious family in his care. It made Johnny feel important in ways he hadn't felt in a long time. But Alexis took him down a couple pegs. "I can't believe she doesn't want me to be the father." He went over to the Haunted Star and found it empty so he helped himself to Luke's whiskey fully stocked on the shelf.

Luke stepped out from the backroom and lit a cigar watching Johnny slide onto a stool and drown his sorrows. "What's up Dark Prince?"

"You using Spinellisms now?" Johnny sucked back his drink.

Luke leaned on the counter close to Johnny's personal space. "What's your problem?"

"Seem to be handling Lulu's shooting pretty well."

"I don't do theatrics."

"I fucked up Luke." Johnny shifted the ice in his glass.

Luke reached back and grabbed the whiskey bottle. He dumped out Johnny's ice in the sink behind him and poured his glass full of whiskey. "Real men don't need ice and you look like you want to put a hurtin' on."

"It started at Sam and Jason's wedding…"

"Isn't that where all the fuckerie started?"

"I kinda always had an eye for Alexis. There was just something about her. So I approached her at the reception. We had a moment thereafter. I had started working for her a little before. I'd go to Greece…"

"Spare me the salacious details. You and Alexis had sex?"

Johnny sipped his drink. "And now she's pregnant. The baby is possibly mine. But even if it is mine, she doesn't want me around. Do you know how that feels? That's shit my dad used to say to me. It hurts all the same." He bit at his nails. "And don't give me some _kids are trouble_ line. I really want to be a father. If this kid is mine, I want to be its father."

"Having dreams of strapping Johnny Jr. to your chest and making sand castles? Kids are no walk in the park."

"Neither is hiding dead bodies. I want meaning in my life."

"If you're looking for meaning in your kids you want kids for the wrong reasons."

* * *

Sonny went back to the church in hopes of finding Carly after numerous visits to the Jacks mansion with no sign of her. He found her in an unusual position of kneeling to the altar in prayer. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a rosary and knelled down next to her hoping to not breech her moment of silence.

Carly opened her eyes feeling him next to her. "Haven't done this in awhile."

"I do it all the time. I did it with Skye."

"How is she?" Carly clasped her hands together and closed her eyes again.

"Taking it all in stride. Asked how you were."

"I haven't told Josselyn that daddy is gone. I don't know how. She's so tiny. " Carly opened her eyes glistened with tears.

"Alexis and I attempted to explain all of this to Spencer but it didn't work out."

Carly looked at Sonny. "What's up with you and Alexis?"

"Marriage." Sonny dropped his eyes to the ground.

"How does Brenda feel about that?"

Sonny grabbed onto the altar and stood up. " She's good. Very supportive." He reached his hand to Carly to help her up.

"Congratulations. I hope Alexis makes you happy. It seemed she did years ago. I saw it. Tried to deny that I saw it. But I often felt like the third wheel…until Jax came along. He made me feel special."

Sonny forced a smile. "I hope to do the same for Alexis. She and I go way back and didn't even realize it. We were two ships passing in the night."

"What about Michael?"

Sonny shrugged. "What about him?"

"He cares deeply for Alexis…"

"It's puppy love…"

"No." Carly frantically shook her head. "He sees something in her…something strong enough to help her commit murder. Her influence over him is dangerous."

Sonny put his finger to his lips to quiet Carly down. "Come on. We're on the same side here. I'm not thrilled what happened with Franco. But you have got to realize that Alexis isn't herself right now and Michael hasn't been ok since he was raped…"

"Before he was raped. Stop ignoring his feelings. Oh and by the way your other son is home."

Sonny's eyes grew wide. "Morgan? He wasn't returning my calls or my emails. I know he didn't read them because I started using a read receipt. That shit hurts Carly. I tried my best to be a good father to all of my kids and you kept him from me."

Carly crossed her arms. "I thought we were all on the same side?"

* * *

Johnny and Luke decided they would attempt a visit to Lulu together. They stepped off the elevator while Luke scoped out that the coast was clear. Johnny stayed by Lulu's door and waited for Luke to give the ok that no one was paying much attention.

Johnny opened the door to Lulu alone and resting while Luke hurried inside.

"I'm gonna leave you alone." Johnny whispered to Luke. He closed the door and found himself face to face with Dante.

"They're allowing visitors now?" Dante asked.

"Just Luke and Laura." Johnny held tight to the doorknob and positioned his body as if he was barricading Dante from going inside.

"Johnny…you been hanging around a lot."

Johnny scoffed. "What does that mean?"

"Lulu and I are working on our relationship in case you're wondering where she and I are right now."

"Dante, I'm sorry you and Brenda lost your kid but you lied to Lulu. You could've told her the truth."

"That's in the past…"

"Guys!" Patrick walked up and stepped in between the brewing fight. "Take the pissing match outside."

Luke felt ashamed. As he looked down at Lulu resting peacefully he felt like a fool even thinking of running away as he typically chose to do. He got down on his knees by her bed not having been in that position before since he could remember considering he wasn't a praying man. He didn't know how it happened but he realized that his hands clinched together.

Lulu opened her eyes and was incredulous at the thought of her father on his knees in prayer. "What the heck are you doing?" She barely had a voice from the tube that was finally removed from her throat that left soreness from puncturing her vocal cords.

Luke lifted his head to her. "Just praying Little Darling."

Lulu reached her hand to hold one of his. "I'm not mad at you."

"Why would you be?" Luke pressed her hand to his lips.

"I overheard the nurses." Lulu took a deep breath. "They said you had a gun and possibly shot me."

"Those gossiping hussies..." Luke pressed her hand even harder against his lips to keep from saying more. "I will fix this. You know I will fix this. I don't know how but I will."

Lulu turned her head to him and smiled. "You're really good at fixing things but sometimes you go overboard."

Dante and Johnny took Patrick's advice and their angst to the hospital parking lot. Johnny shoved Dante once they headed out the door and tried to run off but Dante caught up to him and pummeled Johnny to the icy ground.

"I'm not beneath beating the shit out of my mother's former piece of ass." Dante grabbed Johnny by his shirt and kicked him in his side.

Johnny clung to Dante's arm and tried to wiggle out of his grasp. "Talk shit all you want." He finally rolled away from Dante and got up from the ground ready to finish him off with fisticuffs.

Dante reached in his back pocket and pulled out handcuffs. "You're under arrest!"

"You're off duty asshole!" Johnny fixed his shirt almost torn from his body.

"You're under arrest for accessory to a crime!" Dante shouted.

Johnny could barely catch his breath. "What crime? What the fuck are you talking about?"

Dante went over to Johnny and grabbed his arms to cuff him. "Abuse of a corpse, failure to report a death, failure to report a crime, aiding and abetting, obstruction of justice, hindering prosecution..."

Johnny was in disbelief as he gave up fighting Dante while his hands were cuffed behind his back. "Sonny's gonna love this one. You arrest me; you're screwing with the woman he claims to love."

Dante shoved Johnny against the cop car. "Tell that to your attorney."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Jason was released to go home. Before he left the hospital, he had asked Monica to bring with her a single red rose to his room. He carefully held the rose by its stem and stopped by Brenda's room. Brenda was sleeping and she reminded Jason of one of the fairytales that he liked to improvise to Alana. Jason laid the rose by Brenda's side. "I'll see you when you get out. Sam misses running with you. And I can't tell a story like you can to Alana and Spencer. He's been asking for Wild Things again. You were good at swaying him away from it. So get well soon. We'll lay Jax to rest together." He kissed her cheek before leaving her room.

* * *

Gallos stepped up to Dara's office door with a dozen roses in his hand. Dara was thrown as she opened her door before he could knock. "Good day Ms. Jensen. These are for you."

Dara took the roses and inhaled their fresh perfume. "Oh my God. Where did you get these?"

"Nikolas had a rose garden fashioned for his deceased fiancée, Emily Quartermaine."

"You didn't steal these from her grave did you?"

Gallos chuckled. "No. Despite the cold weather, the gardeners have been able to control the temperature for that portion of the island. It stays a bit warmer…well except when Nikolas turned it into a winter wonderland for Brenda. I can show it to you sometime."

Diane nudged Gallos aside. "Those roses are just gorgeous."

Dara dumped out a vase of dying flowers on her desk and replaced them with the roses. "Gift from Gallos."

Gallos put his arm around Diane. "I will gladly bring Ms. Jensen fresh roses every day."

"Not necessary." Dara waved him away.

Diane grit her teeth with jealousy. "I wouldn't turn down a promise of fresh roses if it meant seeing this handsome face." She tapped Gallos' cheek.

Alexis walked in to the gathering in Dara's office. "I just wanted to welcome Dara to the space."

"Are you now a partner?" Gallos asked.

"No. It's just temporary until I can find the right office space. It's crowded at the PCPD and I just prefer this side of town." Dara slipped onto her desk.

Gallos tilted his head to check out Dara's legs swaying beneath her but he was snapped out of it from Alexis pinching his arm. "Yes Natasha?"

"I need to discuss contracts with you in my office." Alexis dragged Gallos away by his arm down the hall and into her office. She closed the door behind them and silenced him with a disapproving glance. "Dara is a friend as is Diane. If you're not interested in Diane, you need to tell her so. I don't want Bitches fighting over you in the hallways. This place is the only place where I can find peace in this town."

"We love who we love Natasha." Gallos pulled a cigar from his pocket and lit it.

"I'm pregnant."

Gallos quickly put out the cigar. "That's right. I heard through the grapevine. Some woman named Carol was looking for you and said something about you not fitting in dresses because you're pregnant." He took a seat and crossed his legs. "Have you seen King Mikkosavich?"

Alexis sat down at her desk. "Uh, yes…I did. Don't care to see him again."

"You share my feelings I see."

"I caught him ripping Stefan a new asshole. So glad I got there in time."

"You were Stefan's savior."

"He was mine…"

"Stefan was a coward. When you were raped, he pretended it never happened."

Alexis tried to catch her breath. She felt the blade of the dagger pressed to her juggler constricting her ability to breathe. Her head started to spin as she opened her drawer to a stack of brown paper bags. She yanked one out and blew into it with force.

Gallos squirmed in his chair. "I apologize."

Alexis took a couple of deep breaths and popped the inflated bag like a balloon. "I don't remember it that way." She continued to take defined breaths in and out.

"We recall what we choose to see. That's why having another set of eyes to the events is quite crucial and I remember it all differently."

"Then why in the hell don't you leave Stefan alone? Why would you get into business with him or with my family if you hate him soo much?"

"Natasha, I never said I hated Stefan…"

"You're just another pawn for Helena giving her access to children."

Gallos held up his finger. "That is both a rumor and a lie. And it is one that I will fight to my death. I have never given Helena access to any of my ASEC contacts. I sincerely wanted to help children in need."

"And fuck a room full of models at your parties."

"Do you wish to discuss your nephew and his overly sexed and drugged out partying? I'm not responsible for what Nikolas does at my parties. But I will happily pass on the message of your disapproval. I get a strong sense that you're not happy with me."

"I just don't know what to think of you. Or whether or not I can trust you. You've seen my father. So I guess that means the cat will be out of the bag and my family will be vulnerable again."

"I guess the King neglected to tell you the truth. You have no clue do you?"

"I guess not."

"Natasha, I am your brother, Valentin. I'm sure you've heard Helena speak of Mikkos' bastard son."

Alexis jaw dropped. She touched her chest. "Whoa…you're Valentin?"

"I love bantering with you." Gallos grinned. "And yes I am."

"Oh my God." Alexis wanted to jump out of her skin. Memories flooded to her psyche but not one in particular. "How long have you known?"

"Awhile. Just like you…I wasn't dumb enough either to believe that Mikkosavich was just being Daddy Warbucks. I knew there was more to it. I've always been fond of you Natasha. You were the only girl amongst boys with Helena pulling the reins."

"You used to insinuate that you wanted to have sex with me."

"I'm a guy." Gallos shrugged. "Of course I'd have sex with you. The Cassadines are an incestuous bunch."

* * *

Jason made it home but he was disappointed that Sam didn't meet him at the hospital as planned. He tried his best not to worry that something went wrong. He let himself in to Rain waiting by the door and ready to pound her paws against his chest. "You don't do this to Sam." He laughed kissing Rain's furry nose. "Where is she?"

Jason tossed his keys onto the table noticed that the Christmas tree was still up. "Welcome home to chores like taking down this stupid tree." He got down on his knees to play with Rain still frisky from missing him.

The doorbell rang. Jason got up from the ground. "Who is it?"

"It's A.J."

Jason looked down at Rain who retreated to her place at the bottom of the stairs. "It's unlocked."

A.J. turned the knob and walked in not sure what to expect. "Mom said you were released. I'm sure you want some rest but I was on the way to your old penthouse and thought of you."

"I don't live there anymore." Jason looked to the ground.

"I know. I'm meeting Kristina for an AA meeting."

"Are you the guy who she was seeing in Manhattan?"

A.J. bulked. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"AA meeting. She mentioned she was going to AA meetings in the city."

"Yea. That was me."

"You been in the city all these years?"

"I guess you can say that. I didn't know who Kristina and Michael were but I started to put the pieces together when Michael said he was from Port Charles."

"How did you end up back here?"

"Alexis asked me to come back and help with Kristina…"

"I'm guessing you know that's not a good idea." Jason scratched his temple. "Kristina's off-limits."

"Still protecting Sonny?"

"I'm protecting my wife and her best interests. I don't care what you do with Michael. He's a grown man now. I don't make decisions for him anymore but Kristina is different."

"Not really…she's a woman now."

Jason grabbed A.J. by the collar but he thought better of it and released him. "I thought…I hope both of us have changed for the better. I hope you're not up to your old tricks and that I can give you the benefit of the doubt."

A.J. straightened his collar. "I swear that I had no idea that Kristina was Sonny's kid when she came to me for help. She's a good person and I want to see her get better. But she's not because she's a got a self-centered father and Alexis doesn't know what to do. Plus Alexis is occupied with her missing son…"

"My son."

"That's right." A.J. smiled. "Michael mentioned that Mikkos is your son."

"And if something bad happened to him, I barely had any time with him."

* * *

Luke snuck into the lobby of the Metro Court Hotel hoping to avoid Carly at the front desk. He raced for the open doors of the elevator and tried to force them close so she wouldn't see him. "I can't deal with mourning Bitches today." He made it to his floor of choice and stepped out strolling to the door. "Knock knock My Sweet." He pulled a rose from his suit coat.

Holly opened the door. "Ah Luke. What a surprise. I wasn't expecting you."

Luke stepped inside and handed Holly the rose. "A rose for my English rose."

Holly hesitated to take the rose since the thorns were still attached to the stem. "How romantic. You forgot to remove the thorns."

"That's what I'm all about English. I am all thorns."

Robert stepped out from the kitchen chomping down on a sandwich. "I'm first."

"You rotten Bastard!" Luke yanked the rose from Holly's hand and threw it at Robert.

"Ouch." Holly calmly showed Luke her finger bleeding from the pricking of the thorns.

"Sorry English." Luke eyed Robert. "I thought you and Anna were making amends."

Robert threw up his hands. "Aren't you married?"

"I just wanted English's help with a little venture."

"A con job?" Holly sat down on her table. "I'm in."

"Nooooo." Robert sat next to Holly. "My ears cannot hear this."

"I need to find Stavros and shut him down once and for all." Luke grumbled.

"Luke, how about we start with clearing your name?" Robert crossed his arms.

"Didn't realize my name was dirty."

"We need to focus on Lulu and who shot her."

Holly raised her hand. "But what if we somehow pinned it all on Stavros. That's a con job I'd salivate for."

"Stavros is the victim."

"Bullshit!" Luke shouted. "My little girl could be paralyzed. I want that son of a bitch walking around with his balls in his hands."

"That's a visual." Holly closed her eyes. "I would enjoy that."

Luke balled up his fists. "I'm not joking Robert. I want to mess him up. And I want to look in his eyes as he suffers every minute for it. Who's with me?"

Holly reluctantly raised her hand. "I need a firmer plan but I'm in. I'd like to be paid in diamonds. I'm told you and Samantha have access to some rare jewels."

Luke rubbed his hands together. "Anything for you English."

Robert slapped his hands against his ears. "I'm not hearing this."

* * *

_Natasha went down the stairs of the Haunted Stars and the boys stood. "All Hail the Queen!" They shouted._

_Ethan buttoned his tux a bit surprised to see her. "What brings you here Goddess Mother?"_

_"All in one place." Natasha went over to Spinelli. "Why so serious? I overheard Darth Alcazar needs something from you. Whatever you do for Alcazar you do for me."_

_"What does that mean?" Johnny asked. "I don't work for Alcazar."_

_"You don't?" Natasha asked._

_"Not directly." Johnny sat back down. "I'm a business and Alcazar needs services that I can provide. But I only answer to Johnny Zacharra."_

_"Until I say otherwise." Natasha focused on Michael. "Young Sir and I discussed what I needed."_

_"We sure did." Michael happily swayed on the hind legs of his chair._

_"Don't take your little infraction from earlier to heart. You're not man enough for me." Natasha said._

_"Whoa." Ethan and Johnny both wanted to hide under the table._

_Michael was unmoved. "Ok. You want to keep it between us. I understand. We'll talk later."_

_"What I want from all of you is the money that I've paid you." Natasha paced between them._

_Their eyes fell on each other not sure what the hell she meant. Ethan raised his hand. "American English please. You paid us to steal money from ELQ which we did…"_

_"Are still doing…" Spinelli quipped._

_"And…." Ethan continued. "Anything else will require additional funds." He stood up. "So what do you want and are you willing to pay the price for it?"_

_"Of course…" Natasha remained steady. "Money's not an object. I just want the job done. Did I call your bluff Ethan?"_

_"Not at all." Ethan moved in slight discomfort. "Go ahead. I'll name the price."_

_"I need you all to be able to confiscate a dead body. I'll give you details of where you can find the body. You'll get rid of it. Capisce?"_

_"That's it?" Johnny stood up. "Hide a body? I can do that. Whose body?"_

_"I won't say. The body will be wrapped so you won't know who it is. I don't want any of you suspected. So if you don't know who the body belongs to how can you admit any wrongdoing?"_

_"And what if we're caught?" Ethan asked._

_"I know good legal counsel. As I said to Young Sir, do not speak unless you're spoken to. And even then ensure that your counsel is available. Johnny, this would be a good time to see Alcazar as an ally and not just a business proposition. He's a wonderful attorney."_

_"And so are you." Michael went over to Natasha. "I'm really concerned about this plan. If you're giving up practicing law that means you're planning to get caught. I won't let that happen."_

_Natasha touched Michael's cheek. "You're so sweet. I'm not going to get caught. I just have no interest in arguing other people's problems in court. And all of you look like squealers. I don't have the patience for it. We're all guilty of something aren't we?"_

Johnny woke up in a jail cell. He rubbed his eyes and kicked his legs over to the ground. He had to think about everything he might've said when he and Dante exchanged fighting words with him in the back seat of Dante's police car. "Fuck." He hopped up from the bed and gripped the bars. "Yo! Where's my fucking phone call?"

A cop walked in. "Didn't your mother teach you to ask nicely?"

"I don't remember hearing my Miranda rights."

"Falconeri read you Miranda rights"

"Well he didn't offer me my phone call."

Dante went back to the cells hearing Johnny complaining. He shoved his cellphone through the bars. "Here! Make your phone call. You get one."

Johnny flipped through Dante's phone. "You got Alcazar's number?"

Dante snatched his phone back. "I'm not letting you do deals in the joint."

Johnny grabbed the phone back. "He's my fucking attorney! This is bullshit Dante." He shoved the phone back at Dante. "Screw it." He went back to his bed and lay down. "I'll rot here."

"Suit yourself." Dante walked away dialing his phone. "Alexis?"

Alexis put her phone on speaker. "Is this Dante?" She looked over at Gallos waiting quietly.

"Yea. I got Johnny in a cell. He said Alcazar is his attorney."

"What are the charges?"

"Abuse of a corpse and accessory to murder to name a few."

Alexis didn't flinch. "I'll call Alcazar." She hung up the call. "I wonder who Johnny killed now."

Gallos rubbed his chin. "Be careful Natasha. I have a feeling Detective Falconeri is talking about Franco."

Alexis slumped down in her chair trying to remember but the night was blacked out.

Gallos stood up. "I will see to it that Lorenzo does what he can to help Johnny."

"This can't be happening." Alexis' voice trembled.

"It's happening. Where is the body?"

"I don't know. I didn't kill Franco. I swear."

_"And as I said, it's more unfortunate that Alexis barely recalls events that happened since Natasha's torture at the hands of Stavros."_

_Kevin put his hand out in front of Gallos. "How do you know about that? And why did you describe it in that manner? As if Alexis and Natasha were two different people?"_

_"I was there. Meaning in Greece. There were murmurs in the town that came from the servants quarters about what happened to Natasha on the Cassadine Islands. I don't know anything about Alexis Davis. Never take comments that I make lightly Dr. Collins. When I asked about the witching hour, it was a legitimate question."_

_"Does this explain why my patient is seemingly nocturnal?"_

_"Things that go bump in the night." Gallos looked up. "I do love Wyndemere. It's frightening and, as Molly would say, romantic all at the same time."_

_Kevin observed Gallos' behavior especially his movements and his sense of curiosity. "You might be of assistance to me. Maybe you can fill in some blanks of Alexis' memory. Would you be willing?"_

_Gallos' usual cheery disposition quickly turned sour. "Not really. I'd rather not be involved."_

_"Then why did you ask?"_

_"I was curious as to Helena's true powers. I'd rather not dabble in the affairs of the Cassadines. Once you're in, you're in against your will. Look at Lorenzo Alcazar. He was merely living a peaceful existence until Helena snuck her dog, Franco, on him and here he is hoping to survive the game. I do love Natasha. But I don't plan nor have a desire to be her savior."_

* * *

The twins, Luis and Lorenzo, were inseparable. But on a family trip to the Cassadine Islands, Lorenzo fell ill on the day that his father was to take him and his brother, Luis, on a short fishing venture. The twins had just turned five and the night before they celebrated their birthday with both the Alcazars and the Cassadines. Lorenzo woke up the next morning with a burning fever. His bed sheets were soaked with sweat. Lorenzo tossed and turned with everything around him spinning in the room. "Momma?" The little boy called out not realizing that his voice was too weak to carry. He rested his head on his pillow to gather his strength to get up and crawl into his mother's bed hoping she could give him comfort.

Lorenzo made it out of bed, but he was a zombie as his tiny, weak frame stumbled outside his guest bedroom. He put his bare foot down on the ground not bothering to watch his step. He felt a wet substance douse his feet. Lorenzo squealed and slipped to the ground unable to keep his balance. He thought his body was merely drenched with sweat but as he turned to his side, he found himself face to face with his mother. Lorenzo looked down and noticed that he was soaked in her blood. The little boy was too frightened to scream. He just laid there next to his mother hoping someone would find them.

"Dad?" Sam hovered over her father covering his eyes with his hands. She plopped down on his bed.

Lorenzo took his hands from his face and stared at Sam. He sat up in his bed. "What are you doing here? What time is it?"

"It's like 10 am. You called me crying."

"I did? I don't remember that."

"I was on the way to the hospital to pick up Jason but you called crying so I deferred to here."

Lorenzo searched around him. "Where is…" He was disoriented. "She's really dead."

"Who? You kept calling for your mother. I figured you were just having a nightmare but I thought I'd stop by to help if I could."

Lorenzo got out of bed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to call you. I'm not sure what's going on." He started to dress until there was a knock at his door. "Who is it?"

"Gallos!"

"You can answer it."

Sam went to the door and opened it for Gallos.

"Ah! Fair Samantha." Gallos kissed Sam's forehead and barged in. "Brother, I'm gonna need you to go down to the PCPD."

Lorenzo zipped his pants and put on his shirt. "Why?"

"Johnny Zacchara has been arrested."

"No!" Sam stomped. "This can't happen. For what?"

Gallos pointed to Sam. "Can she be trusted?"

Lorenzo nodded. "Go on. What does he need?"

"I have a feeling this is related to the death of Franco."

"Oh fuck." Sam slapped her hand on her mouth. "Who would run their mouth about that? Dad you have to fix this."

Lorenzo went to his closet and found a tie. "Can I get details?"

"I don't have any. I'm making assumptions. I'm more concerned that Zacchara will run his mouth about the inventory he ran for us last year."

Lorenzo fussed with his tie from his fingers still unsteady from his bad dream. He gave up. "Johnny's no fool. He's been a part of the organization too long to squeal." He grabbed his suit coat and slipped it on. "Tie or no tie Sam?"

"Tie for sure." Sam went to help him with his tie. "I'm glad I came. I have to tell Jason."

"No!" Gallos yelled. "Morgan is out. This is business."

Sam made sure Lorenzo's tie was straight. "Johnny works for Jason now. He's supposed to be watching after me and the kids."

"Why?" Lorenzo grabbed his briefcase. "Are you and the kids in danger?"

Sam sighed. "Jason seems to think the plane crash wasn't an accident."

"And he'd be right to harbor such a theory." Gallos lit his cigar he was dying to smoke all morning.

"I will go see Johnny now." Lorenzo walked towards the door.

"Put it on my tab." Gallos raised his cigar in the air.

* * *

Sonny stormed into the PCPD with an axe to grind. "Where in the hell is Dante Falconeri?"

Lucky got up from his desk and went over to Sonny. "I last saw him in the holding cell area. You got a problem?"

Dante went out to the lobby knowing his father's angry voice. "What's your problem Sonny?"

"I got a problem with you arresting Johnny Zacchara. I want him released."

Lucky smiled. "This is rich. Word around town is you're not thrilled with Johnny for knocking up Alexis."

"Come on Lucky…that's a cheap shot and you know it." Sonny shook his head. "Remember the handcuffs? The baby is mine. Don't you forget it."

Lucky threw up his hands. "I'm just repeating what I heard through the grapevine."

"You need to not listen to what you hear." Sonny focused back on Dante. "I'm not kidding. I want Johnny released. And I want it to happen now. I'm meeting Alexis at GH and my time is precious so I mean it."

Dante motioned for Sonny to follow him into the interrogation room. "Sonny, I have every reason to hold Johnny."

Sonny closed the door. "Any threat to my family is a threat to me."

"Johnny ain't family. I am. I'm your son."

"You get Johnny released and you and I won't have a problem. I shot you once and I'll shoot you again."

Lorenzo knocked on the door of the interrogation room before letting himself in. "Bad time? Is my client, Johnny Zacchara, available?"

Sonny groaned. "Ain't this a bitch. Dante, you're putting me in a fucked up situation."

Dante stepped back and laughed. "Isn't this perfect? One of you, including the criminal in the cell, knocked up Alexis. Ha!" He left Sonny and Lorenzo alone.

"What the fuck is his problem?" Lorenzo asked.

"I need you to get Johnny out of this and make sure he doesn't forget where his loyalties lie." Sonny kicked the door on his way out of the interrogation room.

* * *

After checking her phone that Jason was back at Wonderland, Sam made it home. "Jason!" She noticed Rain wasn't perched in her usual spot at the foot of the stairs. Sam continued to the family room and found Jason taking down the decorations. She ran to Jason and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're home. Sorry I didn't pick you up."

Jason kissed Sam relieved to not have to send out a search party for her. "It worked out. I got some alone time with A.J."

"You saw A.J.?"

"I did."

"And?"

"I thought I'd be ok with it but I'm not. I want to trust him but my gut tells me that I shouldn't."

"I don't care about A.J. You and I are camping out here in our bedroom never leaving ever again." Sam embraced Jason not wanting to let go for any reason.

Jason could barely move from Sam holding him tight. He reached towards the fireplace mantle for the Christmas picture that Brenda took of him and the kids all in their reindeer sweaters. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Sam pulled away. "You want to go find Mikkos?"

"Anna is going and she's taking Alexis with her. I'm thinking we can beat them there. I can get info from Lucky."

"We don't have a plane anymore."

"We can steal one."

Sam's face cracked into a devious smile. "What about the baby?"

"What do you think about Spinelli and Maxie? I already called them and they're totally down with playing house. And I know you love to fly."

"But I know you're afraid of flying at this point."

"But you'll hold my hand."

Sam grabbed Jason's hand. "Not while I'm flying."

"I want to bring Mikkos home. And I want to us to reclaim him as we should have done the day he was born."

Sam buried her face in Jason's chest. "I promised Lorenzo I wouldn't do this."

"You don't owe Lorenzo anything. But we owe it to Mikkos to ensure that he's safe and happy."

Sam raised her head. "Uh…that's assuming he's not safe or happy with my mom. I don't want this to be about whether or not my mom is a better mom. She means well. She fiercely loves her children but…"

"This was a long time coming. When I went to the Cassadine Islands and everyone was running around trying to find a missing newborn baby, I knew this wasn't going to work. I promised Brenda I'd stay to bury Jax with her but Mikkos is more important to me. Talking to A.J. made me realize how important it is to find him. If you won't go, I'll go alone and you can be with Brenda…"

"No…let's ride. Let's bring our little boy home."

* * *

Alexis went to the PCPD just missing Sonny but she found Anna leaving her office. "I heard you had a lead on Mikkos."

Anna was hoping she could change her mind and take the trip to find Mikkos without Alexis. "I did but it's not a strong lead. The problem is the location doesn't seem to correlate to anything related to Mikkos or your family."

"But a lead is a lead."

"And I'm doing this on my own dime."

"That's not necessary. We can borrow Sonny's or the Cassadine jet. I am willing to do anything and everything to find him."

"And what if we get to Switzerland and he's not there?"

Robert walked in. "G'day Ladies…what brings you here Ms. Davis?"

Alexis turned to Robert. "I need to have access to evidence regarding Lulu's shooting."

"Why?" Anna asked. "No one has been charged in the shooting."

"And this is my jurisdiction." Robert said.

Lucky went over to Robert and handed him a file. "The results on the gun you brought in. Hope that helps for my sister." He looked at Alexis. "Congratulations on the pregnancy."

"Thank you Lucky. And I'm sorry about what happened to Lulu." Alexis smiled at Lucky and waited for him to go back to his desk. "I'm aware that Luke is being implicated. I'd like to see this gun Robert."

"I'd like to not show it to you." Robert said with anger.

"Robert." Anna elbowed him.

Robert gave in and walked away towards the evidence room. He took a couple minutes before walking out with a gun secured in a plastic bag. He handed it to Alexis.

Alexis studied the gun. "Thank you. May I have access to it at a later date? I feel like I've seen it before."

"Sure." Robert spoke through his teeth.

Alexis handed him back the gun. "I have an ultrasound appointment. Anna, the offer of the jet still stands." She hurried from the station.

Robert looked at Anna. "If she recognizes the gun, this might be good for Luke considering from where I got it." He opened the file and quickly read through it. "One of the bullets from this gun is a match to the one that Patrick gave us after Lulu's surgery."


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11**_

**_I should mention the italics stuff is from both Alexis the Surrogate and Cassadine Islands._  
**

"I'm so glad you could see me." A tear dropped down Sonny's face as he paced in Kevin's office. One tear turned into floodgates as he reflected on the past and how things with Alexis had changed beyond his control.

Kevin couldn't believe his eyes. "Are you crying? Oh my God." He handed Sonny a tissue. "Have a seat. We'll talk it out."

Sonny took a seat and dabbed the wetness from his eyes. "I'm crying because…"

"You're afraid of Natasha?"

"I'm not afraid of Natasha. Maybe I am. When I first met Alexis, I felt I wasn't good enough. But I'm a charmer." Sonny broke out a dimpled smile despite his sadness. "Who can resist these?" He pointed to his dimpled cheek. "She thought I was the dirt on the bottom of her high heels. I knew who she was and I knew she was from a prominent family but deep inside I saw someone hurting just as badly as me."

"When did you come to this conclusion about Alexis sharing your spirit so to speak?"

"I knew a little bit about her family history. We both had an evil stepparent. I had Deke and she had Helena. I was tossed in jail for supposedly locking Skye in the boathouse. It was bullshit. Taggert, that jackass, put me in jail. You know I got claustrophobia. She came and sat down outside my cell. I was suffocating. She told me about boarding school and needing to get away from Helena. Even before, we had these moments where I know she would choose normalcy over privilege if she had the chance. But Natasha…man she is a Bitch."

Kevin chuckled. "When was the last time you saw Natasha?"

"Couple days ago. But I feel like I was slowly getting through to her. She asked me if we'd met." Sonny stood up. "I wish Lorenzo would die. Then maybe you could help her get better. I don't know."

"I don't understand."

"I think he encourages Natasha to stick around."

"It's not that simple Sonny. I haven't completely been able to study what prompts Natasha to show up. Makes me wonder why she would show up a couple days ago. I'll check in with Stefan. Maybe she had an encounter with Mikkosavich."

Sonny rested his elbow on Kevin's bookcase. A flurry of thoughts ran through head. "Wait a minute. What do you mean an encounter with Mikkosavich?"

"Alexis didn't tell you that her father is alive?"

"What the…? You cannot be serious."

"He obviously isn't making himself seen. Lucy saw him the night of the Nurses' Ball. You might want to talk to Dr. Jackson."

"You see Nikolas around?"

"No."

"Fuck." Sonny sat down again and nervously ran his fingers through his hair. "Ok. I gotta be strong. I've never met the guy. Did Lucy say what he was like?"

Kevin shook his head. "I wish I could help you."

There was a knock on Kevin's door. "It's Alexis."

Sonny slid down on the couch. "I'm supposed to be meeting her for an appointment."

"Give me a minute!" Kevin motioned towards the closet.

Sonny was hesitant but he hopped up and slipped into the closet.

"Come in." Kevin said.

Alexis walked in. "Have you seen Sonny? I was told he came in this direction."

"Do you have a moment?"

"I don't. I have an ultrasound and my time is precious."

"Alexis, you and I need to further discuss your integration."

"Now is a bad time. I'm going to Switzerland with Anna."

"And Anna has concerns about Natasha."

"You should not be discussing me with Anna period."

"True." Kevin looked towards the closet.

"What are you doing?" Alexis looked back in the direction of his stare.

"Nothing." Kevin dropped his eyes.

Alexis caught on. "If you see Sonny, tell him I'll be downstairs with Dr. Lee." She left the office knowing Sonny was in there.

Sonny peeked his head outside the closet door while doing his best to not succumb to his claustrophobia. "Can I come out please?"

"I think she knows you were in there. You and Alexis need to discuss this before you and her walk down that aisle. The fact that she hasn't told you that her father is alive is telling."

* * *

Nikolas and Dr. Jackson ate quietly across the table from the king as he read his paper. Nikolas raised his head from his bowl of cereal to see what Dr. Jackson was doing. Dr. Jackson looked at Nikolas wondering which of them could appropriately start the conversation.

"So Grandfather…you might be the only person on earth that still reads a newspaper." Nikolas smiled.

Mikkosavich put down his paper. "Then what do people read?"

Dr. Jackson held up his iPad. "I'm reading the New York Times as well on here."

Mikkosavich stared at the iPad with wonder. "Can you make my weather machine do that?"

"Uh…" Dr. Jackson looked at Nikolas. "Didn't your weather machine fuck with the earth in disastrous ways?"

"And Luke and Laura supposedly saved the world!" Nikolas yelled. "Wait till they find out that you're alive."

"Don't get a big head Young Man." Mikkosavich warned. "I'm enjoying the peace and quiet. After this meeting with Barrett Industries, I'd like to lay low a bit."

"Wait a minute." Nikolas put down his spoon. "Barrett Industries? Who's running that place now?"

"I assume Harlan Barrett."

"Impossible." Nikolas shot back.

"Why would that be impossible?" Mikkosavich asked.

"Harlan is dead. He's been dead for years."

"As was I."

"He's got a point bro." Dr. Jackson said.

Nikolas pushed his cereal bowl away knowing the news if true would have reverberations.

Mikkosavich tried to go back to his paper but noticed Nikolas' quiet. "Is there a problem?"

"I don't know that Brenda knows that her father might be alive."

"Who is this Brenda?" Mikkosavich kicked his heels up on the table.

Dr. Jackson flipped his iPad to Mikkosavich with a cover of Crimson with a sexy photo of Brenda on the front. "Former supermodel turned potential carrier of Nikolas' heir but oops not possible since homie ain't the firstborn." He turned it back to himself. "My bad. She's still hot though."

"Do you have feelings for Brenda?' Mikkosavich asked.

Nikolas picked up his spoon and moved it around in his bowl. "I do. And her father being alive could pose some complications if you and he don't get along."

"We'll see how it all goes." Mikkosavich picked up his paper. "But you might need to consider falling in love with someone else just in case. Loyalty to family comes first. That is our mantra. The House of Cassadine is not lost."

* * *

Sonny got off the elevator and noticed Alexis chatting with Dr. Lee and Patrick.

"Sonny." Alexis waved noticing him in a bit of a daze. "You look thrilled."

"I was locked in a closet." Sonny kissed her before she could question his expression. He perked up a bit reminding himself of how much he loved to be near her especially when he could see the glow of pregnancy shining on her face. "I had a session with Kevin and you know how that goes."

"Dr. Collins stays booked up." Patrick grabbed at his hair. "After the surgery I did on Lulu, I could have used a session or two."

"How is she?" Sonny asked

"I'll know more tomorrow. Good luck on the ultrasound." Patrick walked away.

Dr. Lee stared at Sonny and Alexis with a huge grin. "I remember when I told you that you were pregnant."

"Oh Jesus." Alexis uttered.

_Dr. Lee shut the door behind her._

_"Ok. What are you doing here?" Alexis asked with deep suspicion. "Am I really going through menopause? Because if I just had the flu, you wouldn't be here."_

_Dr. Lee put down Alexis' file and leaned on the table at the foot of the bed. "Uh, well...not really."_

_"Ok? What?"_

_"Alexis, you're pregnant." Dr. Lee smirked._

_Alexis grabbed her stomach in shock. She lay back down and buried her face in a pillow. "Oh my god. This can't be happening."_

_"Uh, aside from the fact that your ovaries are made of titanium, how do you think the father will feel about this?"_

_"I don't know who it is." Alexis' words were garbled through the pillow._

"This is a happy moment. You and Sonny get to meet your baby." Dr. Lee clapped.

Sonny took a deep breath and pulled at his collar. "I'm over the moon."

"You've been to plenty of these." Alexis tried to downplay it noticing him fidgeting.

Sonny tried to look away but her eyes sprung with a happiness he hadn't seen from her in some time. "This one is the best one because this is the last kid that I am bringing into this world."

Alexis laughed. "Are you sure of that?"

Sonny loved Alexis and her complete naivety or well played denial about the situation of the baby in her belly. If she was willing to look past the line of the potential fathers to him, he was as well.

* * *

Johnny was shoved into the interrogation room with his hands handcuffed in front of him. He was relieved to see Lorenzo not knowing who to expect would be his savior. His faith in Alexis was restored. "You showed up." The cop cuffed his hands to the table and left them alone.

"How did this happen?" Lorenzo took a seat across from Johnny.

"I just went to the hospital to see Lulu and ran into Dante. He was talking shit about him and Lulu getting back together."

"So this is over who can have Lulu? Natasha cannot do time over a lovers spat."

"Look, I agree. I didn't say anything but Dante was there when the body surfaced. He knows everything that went down that day."

"What works in our favor is whether he's willing to sell out his father."

"I don't care much for Dante but I've never known him to be a mean-spirited guy. He's gotta realize doing this is bad for Alexis. I'll get a couple years but Alexis could do some serious time."

Dante found Anna in her office. "Lorenzo is here in the interrogation room with Johnny."

Anna sat on her desk and eyed Dante with curiosity. "Why did you arrest Johnny? Does he know something about Franco? I know Robert believes that Ethan is aware of incriminating conversations."

Dante swallowed hard. "I just have a hunch that Johnny knows some things."

"But you can't hold Johnny on a hunch. Just like we can't arrest Alexis without a body. We have nothing to prove that Franco is even dead except a phony confession from Michael."

"You have the DVD that Franco left Sam. And you have Sam admitting to finding a dead body."

"Not on record. Look, I know why Franco is dead…"

"How do you know?"

"I'm not stupid."

"Let's play devil's advocate and say that Alexis killed him. How do you think she did it?"

"Maybe she shot him? I don't know. I don't want to even think of my son being murdered…especially not by the mother of his child."

Lorenzo scratched his head. "They can't hold you long. So you're just gonna have to wait it out. I think we should call Dante's bluff. He could fuck up his career if he admits to being there when his bosses' son's body was recovered. We got this." He watched Johnny's attention drift off into space. "Anything else going on?"

"I hate that I do this. Why am I protecting her?"

"Protecting who?"

"Alexis."

Lorenzo pushed his briefcase aside. "She asked me to talk to you."

"About?"

"She wants you to back off of this baby thing."

A tear dropped down Johnny's cheek. He wanted badly to wipe it away but couldn't move his hands.

"I'm sorry Johnny. She really does have that effect on us."

"This is embarrassing. Can't believe I'm crying right now." Johnny closed his eyes.

"Did you really fall in love with her?"

Johnny opened eyes giving in to his feelings. "I've been lucky in life to bed women of a higher stature than my father would ever admit to me being. In his eyes, I was nothing more than a low-life kid. And I believed that until Lulu and Olivia gave me a chance. And I probably didn't deserve either. I stuck my neck out for Lulu and got nothing in return and I can't do it again with Alexis. I guess I was just shocked that she would even look in my direction or give me the time of day. I loved the confidence that she had in me. Now she doesn't even fucking remember that we slept together."

Lorenzo listened and tried to dig up the best advice he could. "As you know there's a lot going on in Alexis' world right now."

"How do you do it? You love Mikkosavich. I used to cut through the park and watch you pushing him on the swings. You treated him like he was your own son. What if this baby is mine? Will Sonny do the same for him or her knowing the truth?"

"I don't know Sonny and I don't care to know him. But he loves Michael. And loving Mikkosavich isn't hard." Lorenzo smiled.

"I wanted to be the hero and find that kid. But then I gave up realizing it doesn't really matter what I do. I'll never be good enough in Alexis' eyes."

* * *

Alexis tried her best to remain calm but hospitals, especially GH, were never her forte. She tried to rest in the hospital bed while wishing she had a paper bag nearby before she jumped out of her skin. Sonny went into the room. "Sorry…I saw Laura." He pulled up a stool. "You look nervous."

Alexis moved her head on the pillow in agreement. "The last time didn't go so well."

"Don't say that. It went perfectly. It's all about perception." Sonny caressed her hand in his. "Could Mikkos be any more perfect than he is?"

"True. He is perfect."

Dr. Lee walked in and pulled up a stool at the machine. "Ok. I am beyond excited. I have no clue why considering I do this every day. Maybe I just want this one to be perfect."

"What will we find out today? Maybe sex?" Sonny asked.

"It might too early for the sex but determining how far along is one goal." Dr. Lee started the procedure.

Sonny wiped away sweat forming on his forehead. Alexis noticed. "Are you ok?" She asked.

"Oh yea. Just knowing when the baby is coming makes me kind of jumpy. I know you understand what I mean."

_"I don't know when the last time I held a baby." Sonny leaned on the crib. "How many kids do I have? And I don't think, except for Morgan, that I was really there when they were babies. Makes me sad."_

_"You were there for Michael."_

_"Right right." Sonny nodded._

_"Do you have an aversion to babies? I don't care for them myself. But how much harm can she do right now?"_

_"I guess this is supposed to be the plus of being a parent. Your kids eventually have kids of their own."_

_"You're going to need to have a come to Jesus meeting with yourself on the issue of Alec. He didn't do anything to deserve your contempt."_

_Sonny watched Alana even more excited for visitors. "Are you afraid I'm going to fail you? That's what Nikolas said. I admit I wanted to see Brenda again just to see if maybe what went wrong was a fluke and we could find our way back to each other. But I feel the same way about you. We never got a chance and man do I regret that."_

_Alexis wanted to say it but she couldn't. She wanted to tell Sonny that she loved him more than anything back then but he choose Carly instead. "You're right. We never got a chance. It always seemed like there was someone in the way."_

"Look at that good looking fetus!" Dr. Lee exclaimed.

Sonny and Alexis both livened up and watched the monitor of the sonogram. Alexis touched her hand to her chest. "I can't believe I'm doing this again." She was breathless but for once not in a neurotic panic.

"I have to warn you that it is risky to do this at both of your ages. But as your pregnancy progresses we'll continue to ensure that everything is ok."

Lorenzo stepped off the elevator and ran into Robin. "Remind me of Dr. Collins' floor."

"You wanna go up five more. I just had lunch with Dr. Lee and she's doing a very important ultrasound down the hall." Robin got into the elevator and gave Lorenzo the thumbs up. "Team Lorenzo!" She yelled as the doors slid closed.

Lorenzo waved goodbye to her and walked down the hall stopping by one of the rooms brimming with mirth. He did his best to remain inconspicuous while catching a glimpse of the sonogram.

"I remember telling Jason that Mikkos had a huge head." Alexis laughed. "Not sure who he got that from."

"Those Scorpios are a bit egotistical." Sonny joked.

Dr. Lee pulled out her chart. "I am so glad that you're making peace with Franco being Mikkos' biological father."

Alexis' smile faded. "It's not about biology. Alexei and Sophia loved me as their own. My mother never got the chance to love me and my father barely did."

Sonny looked away until his eyes met Lorenzo's. Lorenzo ducked from the door and continued back down the hall towards the elevator. He madly punched at the buttons. Relief overcame him once he was safely inside and heading up to Dr. Collins' floor.

Sonny focused back on Alexis. "Dr. Lee is it safe for Alexis to fly?"

"No amount of stress is good."

"Don't start Sonny." Alexis poked him in the chest. "I am going to Switzerland."

* * *

Kristina and Morgan snuck onto the Haunted Star hoping no caring adults would see them show up. Morgan went straight for the pool table and tossed off the coverings. "This is awesome. Just you and me." He racked up the balls and found two sticks against the wall.

Kristina rolled up her sleeves and took a stick. "This is better than going to AA." She made the first move.

Gia walked down the stairs. "Aren't you too a little young to be in a bar?"

Kristina had it. She tossed her stick onto the pool table itching for a fight. "What the hell do you want?"

"Just looking for Ethan." Gia pulled back knowing she pushed Kristina's buttons.

Ethan stepped out from the back room. "Alright Ladies. Let's keep it classy here."

"I'm not here to start trouble. I was just making a joke." Gia held up her hands. "I want to let Ethan know that Johnny was arrested but Lorenzo seems to think he can get him out."

"For what?" Ethan asked.

"Dante arrested him. They had a fight in the hospital parking lot."

The thunderous sound of footsteps could be heard going down the stairs. Johnny appeared. His clothes were still disheveled as if he ran straight from the PCPD with his face unshaven for days. He embraced Gia. "I'm fine. Lorenzo just helped me make bail. But I'm kind of fucked."

"What the hell happened?" Kristina approached Johnny. "Can I do anything to help?"

Johnny eyed Ethan. "Is it just us Mate?"

"Just us Mate." Ethan reassured him.

"Kristina, your mom might be in trouble. I'll do what I can to protect her but there's only so far I'm willing to go for her." Johnny looked at Kristina hoping to gauge her reaction.

"What now?" Kristina asked.

* * *

Dr. Lee walked Sonny and Alexis out of the examine room. She handed Alexis an envelope. "So you can take pictures of your baby home for everyone to see."

Alexis went to the elevator. "I'm going downstairs."

Sonny grabbed Dr. Lee by the arm. "I'll meet you." He waved to Alexis to go ahead.

Dr. Lee was startled. "Something wrong?"

"How long before Alexis figures out the baby isn't mine?"

Dr. Lee bit at her lip. "Wow. How do you know?"

"I had a vasectomy right after Brenda left me. I was angry. I wanted my marriage to Brenda to work. We'd been through a lot together and I felt deep down that she betrayed me by being with Dante."

"Come on Sonny. I'm putting my Brenda's friend hat on. Dante and Brenda didn't even know that they were betraying you. You have to realize it's not always about Sonny Corinthos."

Sonny nodded. "I know Kelly but my pride was hurt. Brenda hopped on a plane with Jax and I'm supposed to just be ok with that. I was mad and if she came back to me I was determined to tell her that she and I couldn't have kids together.

Dr. Lee couldn't believe her ears. "So it was your big f-you Brenda."

"Because I know that's what she wanted. Brenda wanted me to leave the business so we could be a family. Well at least I thought that's what she wanted. But she had Alec and he was all that mattered. But I'm the fool. Here I am wishing to God that baby that I just saw on that sonogram was mine."

"Can you not tell her now? She's in a high risk pregnancy. I need her to stay calm." Dr. Lee grabbed Sonny's hand ready to beg.

"Yea. Kelly. I got it. My lips are sealed."

Alexis made it downstairs and rummaged through her purse to find her keys. In her haste, she spilled some of her stuff to the ground. The envelope slipped from her hands. "Not my day." But before she could pick them up, Lorenzo bent over and picked up the envelope. He opened it and pulled out the picture of the sonogram. Memories of deja vu flooded to Alexis' thoughts.

_Alexis didn't want to go to the Greystone. She didn't know what to say to Sonny or the girls. She just wanted to cry, but didn't know a trusting shoulder that she could cry on. Her limo pulled up to the hospital's entrance and her driver got out and rushed to open her door._

_"I apologize for the delay Ms. Davis. Mr. Corinthos is requesting you for dinner this evening. Kristina is in town."_

_Alexis wiped her teary eyes. "Great. I was hoping to not have to explain this difficult situation to her or him tonight." She fumbled through her purse and spilled its contents to the ground._

_Her driver dropped down to gather everything that fell. She looked not far from her side and saw Lorenzo tucked away and waiting near the trees. He was reading a tattered newspaper that he pulled from the trashcan that he leaned himself upon._

_Her driver put all the contents back in Alexis' purse and waited for further instruction._

_"Would you please wait inside the limo? I have a friend I need to see." She instructed._

_The driver agreed and hurried around the car to get back inside the driver's seat._

_Lorenzo felt it was safe. He dumped the newspaper back into the trashcan and approached Alexis._

_"Get in the limo." She ordered him._

_In gentleman's fashion, he held the door open for Alexis and followed her inside._

_"Can you just drive?" Alexis said to her driver._

_"To the port please." Lorenzo said. "It's where my yacht is docked."_

_For Alexis, seeing him sitting next to her was surreal especially after her ridiculous day. She closed the separator between the front and the back for privacy. She hoped that her driver didn't notice exactly who was in the backseat. Lorenzo was cool against Alexis' agitation._

_"I don't even know where to begin. You shot my child."_

_"That was months ago Alexis. And it was an accident. I'm not explaining myself to you."_

_"Why are you here?"_

_He looked at her. "To claim what's mine."_

_"What is there to claim?"_

_He smiled and remained quiet._

_"Is it people? Is it money? What is it?" She asked._

_"Did you get my phone calls?" His smirk went right through her. "Hi, I'm blocked."_

_"That was you?" She asked._

_He continued to look out the window. "I'm not happy with the fact that you and Mikkos knew that I had a daughter."_

_"I didn't know that Sam was my child. Had I known…"_

Alexis watched him admire the picture before slipping it back into the envelope and hand it to her. "Thank you." She took the envelope from his hand.

Lorenzo squatted and picked up what spilled from her purse. He stood up and handed it all to her. "Is that your first?"

Alexis was caught off-guard. "Oh. The sonogram? Yes. It is. And what a precious little miracle. Well Alana is the Little Miracle isn't she? I'm going to need to consult Spinelli for a special name since I can now put a face to…" She watched Lorenzo's face and his smile dissipate. "I'm rambling." She rubbed her belly. "The baby is healthy. I don't yet know whether Johnny is the father but doing an amnio is risky…"

"I understand. I got him free on bail."

"Send me the bill."

"Gallos is picking up the bill."

"Oh wonderful. His first good deed as my brother."

Lorenzo jerked his head. "Excuse me? Your brother?"

"Yea. I just found out. He's Mikkos' bastard eldest son Valentin Cassadine."

Lorenzo rolled his eyes and sighed. "Great. I wish he told me. I never understood how he had so much access to Cassadine information."

"He fooled us all."

"Do you know his mother?"

Alexis chuckled. "I know nothing."

Sonny appeared outside. "Alexis, I can walk you to the limo."

"Sure. I'm going to Wyndemere to have words with someone." Alexis held tight to her envelope and left with Sonny.

Sonny put his arm around Alexis. He glanced back at Lorenzo with a wink. Lorenzo started to walk to his car but he spotted Kevin walking into GH. "Dr. Collins? I was looking for you."

Kevin stopped and greeted Lorenzo at the door. "Haven't seen you on my appointment book in ages."

A tear dropped down Lorenzo face. He quickly wiped it away. "Sorry. It's just the cold."

"Sure it is." Kevin knew he was lying. "You were just talking to Alexis weren't you?"

Lorenzo nodded. "I've been having some bad dreams about my mother dying. When I see Alexis, I think about all I lost back when we were young and innocent. She'll never know how much she helped to get me through tough times until I was sent to prison. I miss Natasha so much. I wish I could have her back."

"Natasha is dangerous…"

"I know." Lorenzo stared off in the distance. "And Alexis seems really happy. You won't believe this, but I wouldn't want to take that away from her."

* * *

Morgan couldn't help himself. He broke down bawling. "Sorry guys." He dropped his pool stick to the ground and pulled went over to the bar. He pulled up a stool to sit.

Johnny looked to Kristina. "Did I say something wrong?"

Morgan wiped his face on his sleeve. "It's just...I don't want anything bad to happen to Alexis."

Ethan went behind the bar. "What's your problem? Johnny said he'll do what he can to protect her."

"She's my only ally." Morgan cried.

Johnny went over to Morgan. "Ally for what?"

"What's wrong Hon?" Gia put her arm around Morgan.

Kristina stormed over to the bar. "Take your hands off my brother."

"It's fine Kristina." Morgan shot back. "I came out to Alexis and she was mad cool. Like the heavens opened up." His voice cracked.

"Came out? What does that mean?" Kristina asked.

Morgan sniffled refusing to say more.

Ethan and Johnny stared at each other speechless.

"Uh we totally made asses of ourselves last time." Johnny mumbled to Ethan. "I was the ass so now it's your turn." He pushed Ethan against the bar.

"Alright Mate. Time to spill." Ethan said.

Morgan looked at each person staring at him. "I'm gay. There you have it. Judge away."

Gia gave Morgan the side eye. "Boy please. There's plenty of you in the fashion industry. I'm immune." She playfully rubbed his head.

Ethan let out a deep breath. "I'm just glad you weren't raped."

"No I wasn't raped." Morgan hopped down from the stool and approached Kristina still processing the information. "So? Do you still like me?"

Kristina was unsure. "It's like Gia said. There's plenty of you in fashion." She smiled. "I love you little brother."

"How are you two siblings?" Gia asked.

"Kristina wrapped her arms around Morgan. "Sonny."

Gia laughed. "He gets around huh?"

"That he does. Can we get back to my problem?" Johnny poured himself a drink. "I might be the father of Alexis' kid."

"You slept with my mother? !" Kristina shouted. "I didn't even know she was pregnant!"

Johnny held up his glass. "Good job Alexis! Nice to know she tells you everything, Kristina." He pounded his fist on the bar.

* * *

Alexis marched into Wyndemere with an axe to grind. She barely noticed Nikolas going down the stairs.

"Alexis!" He yelled for her.

Alexis continued to Stefan's office where she found Mikkos alone. "You're settling in to Stefan's office quite nicely."

Mikkos relaxed in the chair. "You haven't been wearing the necklace I returned to you."

"It's a family heirloom. I put it in the family safe where it belongs."

Mikkos stood up. "Helena has access to the family safe. I would suggest you keep close watch over it. I'd hate to see you lose it again."

"Shut up!" Alexis held up her finger to him as he approached her. "Why did you never tell me that I had another brother?"

"I uh…" Mikkos stuttered.

Nikolas walked in. "Alexis don't be hard on Grandfather."

Alexis pointed at Nikolas. "Get out!"

Nikolas dropped his eyes to the ground. "I'm going to see Brenda at the hospital." He left the room.

Alexis focused back on Mikkos. "I hate you. I hate you because you're a liar. You always have been. You lie to get what you want. Luke Spencer owes me a favor. I should sic him and Robert on you again."

Mikkos was stunned by his daughter's hurtful words. Tears clouded his eyes. She wasn't the same loving daughter he remembered from the night in the tunnels. He didn't know what to make of her anger. "I don't understand where this is coming from."

"You didn't protect my mother! You let Helena kill her in cold blood and you pretended that it never happened. You let Helena get away with murder. She won't. I will see to it that she pays and both of you will burn in hell together." Alexis stormed out of the room. As she hurried down the dark halls her cheeks burned with tears as she realized how imperfect her family was.

* * *

Kristina needed to be alone. She left the small pity party gathered inside the Haunted Star and took a seat on the wooden plank bench outside. She broke down into an uncontrollable sob until she felt a hand against her back. "Go away."

Gia sat down next to her ignoring Kristina's demands to be alone. "I'm feeling you. I was you like ten years ago."

"You don't know anything about me." Kristina dried her eyes. "You think you do. Do you know why I drink till I can't see straight? Because my mother is a murderer. She ran over my boyfriend and killed him. She killed my little brother's father. She killed Luis Alcazar…"

"She did all of those things to protect you…"

"I didn't ask her to!" Kristina pointed towards the entrance. "Why would she go and screw a guy that she knows that I liked? Makes me wonder what she possibly did with Ethan." She broke down again.

"You really like Ethan?"

"It's more than like. This isn't some childhood crush. Ethan and I have a connection. Fine if I tend to play games with him. He used to think I was too young for him. It used to piss me off."

"I did that with Nikolas. I loved to play games thinking I could one up him and look at us now. We're not together anymore."

"I just wish my mother would be honest with me and not treat me like a child."

"How did you not know your mother was pregnant? Is it possible you're so entrenched in your own world that you barely notice anything about what's going on? How didn't you know that your mother was battling this illness? Did you think she was just having a bad day?"

Kristina got up from the bench. "Now you're judging me."

"No." Gia shook her head. "I'm just telling you that I see me in you. The world revolved around me. I know where that comes from. I was pretty much an only child. I have a brother…I don't know if you remember Detective Taggart but he and my mother were my world."

"Were?" Kristina sat back down. "Did they die?"

"I had a really bad falling out with my mother before I came back here. I haven't spoken to her in months."

"Why?"

"I'm going to let you in on a secret." Gia lowered her voice. "I found out that Mike is my father and my mother never told me."

Kristina's jaw dropped. "So wait. You have two brothers." She smiled.

"Well yea. Problem is that Sonny and I never really cared much for each other because Courtney and I had a couple of issues to put it lightly."

"Really?"

"Yea. It's a long long story." Gia took Kristina's hand. "I didn't mean to freak you out at Kelly's with talking about your mom losing custody of you. I just hope you understand how much you mean to her. I saw it in her tears. There wasn't a dry eye in that room when the judge took you away from her."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**_Confession: I did not proofread this chapter. So apologies for any mistakes, typos, etc._  
**

Jason checked his watch. He was impatient waiting for Sam at her office but he had faith that she would come through. His phone vibrated in his pants pocket. He hoped it was Sam with good news. It wasn't. "Hey Carly. Yea. I'm out of the hospital but Sam and I are taking a quick trip." He paused listening to a concerned rambling Carly on the other end. "I can't right now. We'll be back in time for Jax's memorial. I promise. I can't believe I'm flying either but this is important."

Sam opened the door and dangled the keys in front of Jason.

"I gotta go Carly." Jason hung up and kissed Sam with relief. "Whose plane?"

"Sonny's."

Jason winced. "I don't know. He's going to freak out. We gotta go before Max and Milo realize something is up."

"No worries." Sam smiled. "Max and Milo are nicely occupied."

Maxie needed a moment to collect her shot nerves. She escaped downstairs to the kitchen amidst the cries of Alana brewing from upstairs in the nursery. "How is it I can still hear her?" She noticed the baby monitor sitting on the kitchen table piercing with vibration. In a frenzy, Maxie took up the monitor and tried to shut it off. "Ok Baby! Shut up." She turned on the water in the sink and drowned the monitor.

Spinelli arrived with both arms full of groceries. "My Fairest Maximista…why is Little Miracle crying?"

Maxie massaged her temples. "I wish I knew. I just know that I suck as a mother."

Spinelli dropped the bags onto the table and went to Maxie. "No you don't. You're not used to babies. That's all."

"Lately I just feel like I can't do anything right. I'm a shitty employee at Crimson. I should have warned Jax that flying in this weather was a bad idea. And I suck as a friend to Lulu. I should be at the hospital right now."

Spinelli smiled. "But you're here for me and the Little Miracle. Stone Cold and Fair Samantha need our help."

Maxie went to the glass doors to the backyard. "Alec died back there huh?"

Spinelli scratched his head. "The Jedi Youngling fought bravely till his last breath. He is now in space with his Jedi Master."

"Help!" The sound of collective male voices sprung up from a door that led to the basement.

"What the hell is that?" Maxie was startled as she turned to Spinelli.

Spinelli stopped to listen to the voices growing from below. "This house is truly haunted."

Max and Milo were tied together to chairs with their mouths taped shut. "Sam!" They both yelled as loud as the tape would allow.

Spinelli continued to listen as he followed the sound to the door. "That sounds like Max and Milo." He swung open the door and ran down the stairs finding the two bodyguards tied together.

Maxie followed down behind him. "Oh my God! Who did this?"

Spinelli freed Max and Milo from their bindings. "What happened?"

Max caught his breath. "Sam tied us up."

"How did little Sam tie up two beefcakes?" Maxie thrust her hands onto her hips.

Milo growled. "She played a trick on us. Told us we were playing cowboys and Indians with Spencer."

Spinelli raised his hand. "I think that terminology is mildly racist."

"Why would Sam do this?" Maxie asked Spinelli. "What are Sam and Jason up to?"

* * *

Lucky got out of his car at the Port Charles airport and slung his duffle across his back. He answered his phone ringing in his hand. "I'm here. Ready to go. I got an address from Anna's desk. But we have a problem. I'm looking at the runway and the Cassadine jet is gone. Alexis and Anna already left. We gotta make up time in the air. Get here quick." He hung up the call.

Alexis kept herself busy reading through case files. She and Anna didn't say much to each other from the transport to the airport up until the plane took off. Anna left the cockpit of the plane and took her seat across from Alexis. She buckled herself in and studied the décor.

Alexis removed her glasses and looked up from her files.

"Don't let me interrupt you." Anna said. "After what happened to the Crimson jet, I admit to being a bit nervous about flying."

Alexis relaxed and moved her work aside. "We can have tea. I requested it from the attendant."

"Thank you. Tea sounds wonderful."

The plane hit a pocket of turbulence. Anna grabbed onto her seat until the ride settled again. Alexis watched Anna calm back down.

"I'm guessing Mikkos gets it from you." Alexis grinned. "His first plane ride was terrifying. Poor baby."

_Alexis gazed lovingly at Mikkos across from her strapped firm in his car seat. She dangled her fingers at him finally wide awake and not sure of the bit of turbulence he was feeling for the first time. Mikkos' big blue eyes bugged from his head with every bump. Alexis picked up the Africa book from the table and glanced through the pages. "Will you be annoyed if I read to him?"_

_Lorenzo and Nikolas both shook their heads._

_Alexis went over to Mikkos and kneeled down to him wiggling in his chair. She opened the book to the first page of an elephant and held it up to him. "This is an elephant. Elephants have amazing memories. Do you know if you pull an elephant's tail and he sees you, he won't forget you?" She lightly tapped Mikkos' nose until he settled down at the sweet sound of his mother's voice._

Alexis went through her briefcase and handed Anna the Africa book. "I didn't forget it. I can't wait to read it to him when we bring him home."

Anna took the book and flipped through its pages. "Just pictures. I love picture books. You can make up all kinds of stories. Robin loved picture books. Robert was usually good about telling her stories about the wild animals of Australia."

"Do you remember what you said to me about Franco when I arrived in Port Charles?"

_Alexis carefully picked Mikkos up out of his seat and gathered his things together._

_Anna boarded the plane. "Lorenzo has been detained. Thank you for convincing him to come back to Port Charles."_

_"I didn't convince him of anything." Alexis said casually._

_"Either way…this isn't just about Kristina. Though Kristina expressed to me a genuine fear of Lorenzo before he kidnapped her."_

_Alexis held Mikkos firm in her arms not really wanting to leave the plane and expose him to the craziness she had left behind._

_"Are you alright?" Anna asked._

_"I'm sorry about your son." Alexis wasn't sure if apologies on the sensitive subject of Franco were appropriate._

_Anna grew uneasy. "It's like Dante said…Franco hasn't been my son since the day he was born."_

_"Nikolas and I have the antidote that should awaken Franco from his coma. If he does, what would you say to him?"_

_Anna tried to brush it off. "I don't know that I want to see him alive. It's easier to deal with him in a coma." She pointed to Mikkos. "Could you imagine if that precious little one turned out to be like Franco? I know that there are questions surrounding Mikkos' paternity. It's not lost on me. Just another thing I don't want to deal with or even think about right now."_

"I don't want to talk about Franco or that day." Anna placed her hands on her eyes. "I could have done something that day to fix all of this. I knew then in my heart that Mikkos was my grandson. You were obviously in denial."

"You told me you didn't give a damn about Franco."

Anna picked up the book again. She just wanted to get lost in its pages. "I got to know him."

"Let's just find my little boy and bring him home. We're never going to agree on Franco."

"Did you kill Franco?" Anna's eyes refused to leave Alexis.

Alexis shook her head. "No I didn't kill Franco."

_Alexis opened the door winded. "Why am I on a plane?"_

_"I'm guessing you don't remember anything that happened last night."_

_Alexis pushed Lorenzo out of her way. She went back to her seat and curled her body up. "I'm fragmented. You asked me who I am. I don't really know at the moment. I know what I did. I know why I did it. And that's all I know."_

_"What did you do?" Lorenzo sat back down next to Mikkos engrossed in his book._

_Alexis looked over at Mikkos. "He's at a very corrigible age."_

_"I don't think he understands anything that doesn't sound like a dog at this stage."_

_Alexis gripped tight to her pillow hoping to not let on to Lorenzo that her morning sickness had caught up to her. "I killed Franco."_

The attendant placed tea onto the table. "Anything else Ms. Cassadine?"

A light flashed before Alexis' eyes. She tried to control it knowing what breaking through her memories meant. "No. This is fine." She looked up at the attendant.

Anna observed Alexis with concern. "Are you alright Alexis?"

_"Natasha?" Franco relaxed even more believing that she'd left him alone._

_Natasha took the dagger in her hand and crawled over to the back of Franco's chair. She didn't make a sound as the leather of her pants made her stealth enough to move undetected. Franco's breathing moved from rapid fear to steady calm. Natasha clasped her hand onto his mouth and before he could struggle she slit the dagger across his neck. Michael buried his face in his arm hearing Franco shriek his last cry for mercy._

_Natasha dropped the dagger to the ground. Her hands were drenched in red. She kicked Franco and his chair onto the cold cement floor. Michael sobbed in the corner but he lifted his eyes to Franco's body still tied to the chair and spilling his blood onto the floor._

_"Call Johnny." Natasha grabbed the dagger and left the room._

Pain overcame Alexis' head as the memories flooded her psyche. "No Natasha please…"

Anna hurried over to Alexis. "Ok we won't talk about Franco. Just please don't let Natasha show up."

The attendant went over Anna trying to calm Alexis. "Do we need to make an emergency landing?"

"No." Anna stated abruptly.

Alexis grabbed at her head. "I didn't kill Franco. I didn't kill Franco."

"Ok." Anna tried to comfort her.

"Johnny Zacharra killed Franco." Natasha blurted out.

Anna kneeled down to the ground. "Wait. Johnny killed Franco? Really? How do you know this?"

Natasha knew she had to pretend in order to protect Alexis though she hated to do so. "He did."

Anna was surprised. "Well I guess Dante's arrest makes sense now. I wonder how he knew."

"Dante?" Natasha stared at Anna with disdain. "Dante Falconeri?"

Anna stood up and sat down next to who she believed to be Alexis. "Don't worry about it. We're on our way to find a little boy that means soo much to both of us. Let's not lose sight of that."

Natasha stood up. "I need a moment." She went to the bathroom in the back of the cabin and leaned on the sink to collect her thoughts. "Dante Falconeri." She reached for the phone hanging on the wall next to the mirror.

Lorenzo got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He noticed his cell phone ringing. "Hello? Who is it?"

Natasha sat down on the counter. "Natasha. I need off of this plane."

"Fuck." Lorenzo muttered. "Natasha you need to hang tight. You should be landing soon right? Please don't mess this up. Anna was afraid this would happen. What triggered this?"

"I need a favor."

"What do you need? Just let me know."

"I need off of this plane." Natasha begged.

Lorenzo was frantic. "I need you to protect the Queen."

"I am the queen you son of a bitch."

Lorenzo pounded his fist onto the counter. "Whatever you do, you have to protect Alexis."

"Why? She's supposed to protect me. Why is she more important to you then me?"

"Oh my God. Natasha, I need you to please don't blow this. You have to find Mikkos."

"Mikkos is safe. I did as my mother told me. She said to put the baby in the stables. He'll come back. I need off of this plane."

Lorenzo had no choice but to hang up. He dialed another number. "Stefan, we have a huge problem."

Stefan walked into his office at the hospital. "What's the trouble?"

"Something triggered Natasha."

"Have they made it to Switzerland?"

"No. Natasha is demanding to get off the plane. We cannot have this. If Anna finds out that Natasha killed Franco, this isn't good."

* * *

The countryside flashed before Mikkos' big blue eyes. It was his first train ride and he was in heaven. His tiny hands latched onto the windowsill as he pulled up to his feet in his seat to get a better view of the sheep. He pressed his face against the window and screeched at the sight of the animals that he knew slept by his side.

Zander looked up from reading and watched Mikkos riveted by the sights outside his window. "What you looking at Bud?"

"Woof woof." Mikkos pressed his index finger against the window. He just wanted to touch the sheep grazing in the fields. His eyes filled with tears. He steadied himself before settling back down into his seat and searched about.

Zander noticed. "What's wrong?"

"Woof woof." Mikkos poked at Zander and pointed towards his backpack too far for him to reach.

Zander grabbed the backpack and searched through it. "Goddamnit. Ugh. I'm sorry Bud. We left Lamby behind. Where did you leave him?"

Mikkos knew what Zander's expressions meant. He shoved his finger into his mouth and churned up a loud cry.

"I know." Zander pulled Mikkos into his lap. "I'm sorry. Look." He found a stuffed giraffe but Mikkos shoved it away. "I know it's not Lamby. Listen. We're going someplace where Grandpa Harlan can send us Lamby." He picked up a crying Mikkos to face him. "It's ok. I have good news. Helena is sending us someplace where we can have a home for a little bit. It's called Port Charles. I lived there a long time ago. But the difference this time is Helena is going protect us."

* * *

Mikkosavich stepped into Helena's lair to Caesar Faison sitting at her desk. "Old pal." He held out his hand.

Faison stood up and gave Mikkos a firm handshake. "It's been too long. Where is Helena?"

"Here." Helena appeared from the tunnels. "I'm told one of my pawns is returning."

Mikkosavich looked at Helena. "It's always a game of chess with you. What is this pawn that you speak of?"

"Never mind that." Faison paced. "Harlan would like to meet in Switzerland."

"I've changed my mind." Mikkosavich moved to Faison. "The Cassadine Islands sound best to me."

"I don't know that Harlan will go for that."

"Does Harlan want the antidote combination or not?"

Helena sat down at her desk. "How is that I'm not in on these negotiations?"

"Speaking of participants." Faison lit a cigar. "Where is Queen Natasha?"

Helena raised her brow. "Who?"

Mikkosavich shoved his hands in his pockets. "Natasha will be in attendance. I'd like to postpone until she finds my grandson. In fact, I want all of my children there for this meeting. They should all be informed of the direction that I plan to take Cassadine Industries."

"Have they all come out of the woodwork?" Helena flung a chess piece across the table.

Her words shut Mikkosavich down to silence.

Faison snickered. "I don't know that Harlan is willing to wait that long."

"I have the antidote and the doctors with the skills to use it. I'm obviously living proof."

"Dr. Jackson and Dr. Hayward work for me." Faison snapped back.

Mikkosavich chuckled. "I don't know Dr. Hayward but Dr. Jackson works for Cassadine Industries. If you have a problem with that, we can settle it. But I think I'll win."

Helena spun her chess board around on her desk. She and Faison locked eyes. "We're all on the same team are we not?"

Mikkosavich glanced at Helena but focused back on Faison. "You seem to be playing favorites with Harlan."

"I just want to make sure you're properly acclimated to the ways of the cartel. I want ELQ to be completely obliterated as we know it and reestablished as a front for the cartel's activities. I also want control of the antidote. I've put all my cards on the table."

Mikkosavich flashed a smile. "You have." He walked past Faison out of the room.

Faison puffed his cigar. "What is up your husband's sleeve?"

"Never mind him." Helena placed the pieces on the chess board. What is this about Queen Natasha?"

"I like to get you riled up."

"You did."

"Why would you bring Alexander back to Port Charles with the boy? We need that boy in our possession."

"I don't need Mikkosavich Alexander anymore. You see Natasha is a bit of a mess. I spoke with her doctor. The programming is working."

Faison perked up. "Do tell?"

"Alexis is refusing integration." Helena smiled. "She came to me wanting to know how to permanently retain Natasha."

Faison nodded with pleasure. "This is fantastic. We've gotten to her."

"Sabotage or suicide. That is the goal."

* * *

Sam fumbled around in the cockpit trying to familiarize with the controls. She closed her eyes to say a prayer hoping for guidance in their journey.

"You alright?" Lucky peeked into the cockpit.

"Can you pray with me?" Sam begged.

Lucky slipped inside. "Of course."

"I don't want to freak Jason out. I'm kind of rusty. And I know time is of the essence."

Lucky took Sam's hands and the both of them closed their eyes. "We just want to say a prayer for guidance and mercy. Get us to our destination safely…"

"And may we find Mikkosavich healthy and happy. I just want him to be happy and not realizing all that's gone on."

Jason went into the cockpit. "Amen. I heard you through the intercom."

"Crap!" Sam searched for the button that said intercom and pressed it off. "It's ok. I'm good. Get in your seats and let's rock and roll."

Lucky and Jason went to their seats as Sam closed the cockpit door. Jason's stomach started to turn. Before he could buckle his seatbelt, he leaped up from his seat and banged on the door. "Sam!"

Sam opened the door. "What's wrong?"

"I need you to hold my hand." Jason looked back and noticed Lucky pretending to be engaged in a magazine. Jason had to swallow his pride and admit that he wasn't ready for another flight.

Sam slipped her hands in his Jason's and pulled him into the cockpit. "Thank God for autopilot I guess. It's going to be okay. When we took that dive off of the cliff, you wanted to do it again because guess what? You survived it."

Lucky got up from his seat and knocked on the cockpit door. "Guys, we're losing time."

Sam softly nudged Jason to sit in the co-pilot's seat. "Are you sure you want to watch?'

Jason buckled his seat belt and took a couple deep breaths. "Yea. Yes. We gotta bring our son home."

Sam pressed the intercom button. "We're taking off Lucky."

Lucky settled down in his seat. He noticed his phone buzzing in his pocket with a text message. His eyes glazed over as he read the message from his mother. He tossed his phone onto the table and rested his head back onto his seat. "You're gonna get through this Lulu."

* * *

Lorenzo started to leave and when he opened the door, Skye was there. "What's up? I gotta go."

Skye pushed Lorenzo aside and went inside. "We need to talk."

"I can't right now. I'm trying to find Sam and she's not answering her phone. I got an emergency."

"What are the chances that you and I have a chance again?"

Lorenzo laid his forehead against the jamb of the door for a moment of frustration. "Where is this coming from? Is this you mourning Jax or do you really give a shit about me? I can't do this right now. I need to…find Natasha."

Skye looked to the ground. "So it's about her now."

"It's about a lot of people at the moment. Keep in mind that you and I are on opposite sides. You almost ruined my career using Ric Lansing's files against me. How am I supposed to forgive that?"

"She killed your brother and you forgave her."

"You will never understand Natasha and me…"

"She and Sonny are together. They are getting married and having a baby. I saw Sonny and he is completely in heaven right now. I went to the Greystone and found him gushing over the sonogram of their baby and it reminded me of us when we found out about Lila Rae."

"Thank you for the report and the memories but I have to go." Lorenzo left Skye alone and raced across the docks to the launch to the Spoon Island. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and dialed. "Sam I really need you to answer your phone. Your mom is in trouble. Call me back."

* * *

Zander cradled Mikkos in his arms. The little boy finally fell asleep to the soothing train ride. He uncurled one of Mikkos' fists and pried the crumpled up photo of Zander, Alexis, and baby Kristina from his tiny hand. Zander stared at the photo trying his hardest to remember but everything seemed void of meaning. He recalled Alexis' face and even the face of Kristina.

Zander closed his eyes shut and tried to recall Elizabeth. He opened his eyes again and looked at the photo. Mikkos stirred in Zander's arm but remained asleep. Zander savored feeling Mikkos breathe. He held the baby close to him and hoped that all would be well when they returned to Port Charles. "I hope Elizabeth understands why I took you away." Zander whispered in Mikkos' ear. "I hope Helena protects us. She told me she'd convince Elizabeth that all is well and I deserve to be your father."

Zander pressed his lips against Mikkos' cheek loving the feel of the baby's soft skin. He inhaled the smell of Mikkos' shampoo. The child gave him hope that all would be well.

* * *

Helena found King Mikkosavich in the Great Room. Her eyes roamed up to the Queen Natasha. She hadn't noticed it before. She watched Mikkos touch the painting in admiration. "Mine used to hang there until your bastard destroyed it in a fire."

Mikkos was unmoved. "Some things will change around here." He turned to Helena. "One of them being your arrogance as far as my children are concerned. You are not allowed to mistreat Valentin or Natasha. Or their offspring." He grabbed a glass and dabbled with the array of vodkas at his disposal. He picked one and opened the bottle. "Drink?"

Helena swallowed the disgusted taste in her mouth. "You should watch what you consume in this house. I don't know that I completely trust Faison."

Mikkos sipped his drink. "I don't trust Faison either. Good to know that we agree on something."

Lorenzo went into the room hearing voices of conversation. He wasn't sure of what to expect. Mikkos' attention fell to Lorenzo who was cautious in his entrance. Mikkos' smile broadened. He beckoned to Lorenzo with his fingers. Helena cut her eyes at the interaction.

Lorenzo reminded himself to practice reverence in the presence of the King as he did as a child. He clasped his hands behind him as he approached Mikkos. "I knew you were alive. I just haven't had the chance to see you."

Mikkos put down his drink and grabbed Lorenzo face. He pressed his lips against Lorenzo's cheek and kissed him. "You."

"Me." Lorenzo nodded and looked to his side at Helena serving him a stare of death. "Welcome back King Mikkosavich."

Mikkos lightly patted Lorenzo's kissed cheek. "My condolences on the loss of your brother, Luis."

"I only had one brother. And I'd do anything to have him back." He lifted his eyes to Mikkos. "But I understand why he is no longer here."

"I told Natasha that murder is never the answer to our problems." Mikkos was saddened by Lorenzo's reserved demeanor while missing the energetic little boy he once knew.

_Lorenzo was eager to please while Alexis wasn't so sure of the boy she had really just met. Mikkosavich picked up Lorenzo and put him on the horse behind Alexis._

_"Tallyho!" Lorenzo wrapped his arms around Alexis' waist and hung on tight._

_Mikkosavich let out a hearty laugh. "There will be no fox-hunting Lorenzo. Bring Natasha back in one piece."_

Lorenzo looked at Helena. "Natasha learned from the best. We both did. I know that after Natasha was pregnant with Sam, you wanted nothing to do with the Alcazars. In your eyes, we destroyed your daughter. But take comfort in that I have forgiven Natasha for all of her flaws and I hope you forgive me and my brother for ours." He smiled at Helena.

Helena touched at the diamond earring in her ear as she remained silent. Lorenzo caught the sparkle of her jewels.

Mikkos grabbed Lorenzo's shoulder. "All is forgiven."

* * *

Anna knocked on the door of the bathroom. "Alexis? Are you ok? We'll be landing soon."

Natasha had fallen asleep. She woke up sitting on the bathroom floor feeling the movement of the baby in her belly. She placed her hands on her stomach and paused to feel the little one. "I'll be out. The baby makes me nauseous."

"Of course." Anna gave up and sat back in her seat.

"Please take your seats. We'll be landing in another 30 minutes." The pilot spoke over the intercom.

Natasha pulled herself up to her feet. The heat of a fever overcame her body. She used the wall to prop herself up. "Ok. No stress. I can't stress." She looked down at her stomach. "We're not stressing are we? We can do this. We can pretend." She grabbed the doorknob and flung the door open.

Anna watched Natasha make her way back to her seat. "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting that you're pregnant and maybe this was a bad idea. Stress is not good for you."

Natasha took a seat and buckled her belt. "All of my children are perfect and this one will be too."

Anna picked up the Africa book. "I know. Stress doesn't help. I should know. I suffered a miscarriage with Duke and lost a baby with David. And I'd feel terrible if something I said or did hurt your baby. Do you know whether it's a boy or a girl?"

Natasha shook her head. "No. I don't think Lorenzo and I have a preference. We just want it to be healthy."

Chills went down Anna's spine. She dropped the Africa book to the ground but quickly picked it up. She decided to keep herself distracted by flipping through its pages.

_Kevin wrote Helena in big letters above his drawings. "The goal is to protect the Queen. Once these alters are released into the world, it's a crap shoot as to whether they'll do as they were programmed to do. Both Natasha and Franco were successful alters. They've been ritualized into the art of murder. It's an odd relationship they have to Helena. There's this loyalty that Helena's subjects feel to her so there's a competition to please the Queen so to speak."_

_Agent Bates stood up. "Do they all suffer from the same triggers?"_

_"Good question." Kevin waved his chalk. "The answer is no. But Helena does like to use the narratives of chess, fire, diamonds, and light for all of her subjects. Last night, Natasha was triggered by Christmas lights and possibly the Ice Princess. But there's something else to this. The reason I drew hearts is because it seems that Natasha has a strong attraction to Lorenzo Alcazar and Alexis has a strong attraction to Sonny Corinthos."_

Anna's strong spy perceptions won out. She continued to flip through the pages of the story book finally knowing that it was Natasha who was sitting across from her. She kept one eye on the pages and another on Natasha who remained composed. "Are you in love with Lorenzo?"

Natasha watched the blue skies outside the window. "Mikkos' eyes look just like those clouds. I love sunny days in Greece. When we're on the island and I watch him swim from my balcony, he looks up at me and I can see his crystal blue eyes. He didn't get that from Franco. Franco's eyes were brown. I know because I looked into them."

"When?"

Natasha looked at Anna. "When I saw him at the hospital. The day he admitted to raping my daughter."

_Anna left Franco's room to Alexis waiting with Mikkos outside to the door._

_"I thought I could have a minute with Franco." Alexis said._

_"Sure. He's being transferred tomorrow."_

_"I'm aware. And by the way, I just want to lie check my daughter. Did you take a bottle of Ménage a Trois from my wine cabinet?"_

_Anna laughed nervously. "Wow. Uh, yeah. I did. I fed it to your plant."_

_Alexis nodded understanding. "I see. That daughter of mine."_

_Anna noticed Mikkos finally calm and tugging at his mother's necklace. "Have you gotten any leads on your stolen necklace?"_

_"No. I haven't."_

_"I'll follow up on that." Anna reached out her hands. "Shall I take him while you meet with Franco?"_

_Alexis agreed. "Be careful. He bites."_

_Anna took Mikkos in her arms. "We'll be just fine."_

_Alexis went in the room to Franco trying to catch a rest. "Have you made a decision? On me?" She asked._

_Franco opened his eyes. He noticed Anna outside the door with Mikkos. "You brought the kid?"_

_"We happened to be here. I thought I'd catch you before the transfer."_

_"How is Morgan enjoying fatherhood?"_

_"What is your obsession with Jason?"_

_"He's got a nice ass." Franco smiled. "It's not about Jason. It's really about Sam. She'll never love me the way I want her to. What's Jason got that I don't have?"_

_Alexis sighed. "This is bullshit. You're playing games. You're all sugary sweet with your mom and dad and you're an asshole with me. I've done nothing to you except defend myself and my children."_

_"Lorenzo should have never left me alone with her." Franco looked at Alexis._

_"Excuse me?" Alexis asked. She approached Franco. "What the hell are talking about?"_

_"Nothing." Franco said. His heart stopped for a minute knowing he'd gone too far._

Natasha went back to watching the clouds hoping she didn't give away too much. She hated every minute of protecting Alexis. She just wanted to be who she truly was. She wanted more than anything to admit to Anna that she killed Franco because she felt it was the right thing to do.

"I can't take back what Franco did to Sam. All I can do is find my grandson and hope that's enough for all of us to heal."

* * *

Mikkos pulled Lorenzo out of the Great Room. They walked the halls.

"You don't really trust Helena do you?" Lorenzo asked.

"I love Helena. I realize the mess she's caused. It can all be fixed."

Lorenzo stopped. "You on the Oprah optimism plan or something? It can't be fixed. My daughter was raped. She and her mother are falling apart. And all of this was because of Helena. Natasha is in trouble. She's on an airplane with the mother of Mikkos' father who was murdered…by Natasha."

Mikkos took a moment to soak it all in. "I'm a little out of the loop on Natasha. She came here and ripped me a new asshole."

Lorenzo crossed his arms. "Are you sure it was Natasha? Or was it Alexis?"

Helena peered outside the Great Room trying to hear.

"I don't understand your question Lorenzo?"

"Your daughter suffers from split personalities. These were personalities implanted by Helena. I know you're aware of this Sir."

Mikkos could sense Helena's presence floating down the hall. "I had no choice. There wasn't much I could do. I was powerless. I had to focus..."

"You had to focus on gaining power with a stupid weather machine while Helena abused your children. Please take responsibility for what you allowed Helena to do. I was taught to protect the Queen and I will do as I was taught."

Mikkos shook his head and walked away from Lorenzo.

Helena smiled just knowing her influence on Mikkos was still imprinted on his heart. She found a sharp knife on the fruit platter on the serving table. She caressed the knife in her hand and went to the painting. She drew her arm back to stab the knife into the painting but before the blade could hit the canvas, she stopped herself. She dropped the knife with thoughts ruminating through her head. "I've already won. You might win the battle Natasha, but I will win the war. Sabotage or suicide."

_Little Natasha noticed the Christmas tree with its white lights blinking out of sync. She wanted to vomit but she knew her fate would be similar to her mother's if she did. She found herself lost in trying to follow the blinking lights until she felt the dagger dig into her back. Little Natasha picked up her spoon and almost gaged herself from her disgust._

_Helena held the dagger to Little Natasha's face. "In the future, you will do as you're told. Tomorrow, I'm sending you away before the boys discover your existence. And there's nothing that Mikkos will do to save you. You will be my pet project created in my own image."_

_Little Natasha swallowed with effort as her stomach swirled with fear. "Where will I go?"_

_"That's not your concern. But you'll get a new name—Alexis Davidovitch."_

_"My name is Natasha." She said defiantly._

_Helena took the blade of the dagger and pressed it in Little Natasha's palm. "Your name will be Alexis Davidovitch unless I say otherwise."_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Sorry about the delay. It was all about GH FCW the last couple of weeks. I don't pay a lot of attention to the actual show but I see Anna wants to go to Switzerland to find her missing kid. I swear I'm psychic. :p**_

**Chapter 13**

Patrick took a glance at Lulu finally going back to sleep. He made sure she was tucked tight in her bed before picking up his chart and going out to the waiting area where Luke and Laura found themselves sitting in silence. "The tests are showing paralysis. That's the bad news. The good news is that Lulu can overcome this."

Laura's eyes were crimson circles from crying. "What will it take? How long does she have to stay here?"

"I'd like to do some exploratory tests. I may find the need to do another surgery."

Luke couldn't stop his leg from shaking. "What have the police found in terms of the shooter?"

"I found two bullets and both of them were handed over to Robert as evidence. It seems there was more than one shooter which sucks but a lot was going on that night. She's sleeping but you can see her whenever you're ready."

Patrick couldn't get out of the room fast enough. He wasn't paying attention as he bumped into Robin starting her shift for the day. Patrick slipped past her after the light collision and slammed Lulu's file onto the desk. "There are days like this that I want to quit my job."

"Don't give up. I know this is hard. It's hard for me too. I've known Lulu all of my life." A tear dropped down Robin's face. "And now she may never walk again. Did you tell her?"

Patrick shook his head. "She knows about the paralysis but she believes it's temporary."

Elizabeth walked up to desk. "Have you heard from Lucky? Laura said she sent him a text about Lulu."

"Nothing. Where is he?" Robin asked.

"He flew to Switzerland with Jason and Sam."

Patrick turned back to Elizabeth. "Why?"

"Yea. Why?" Robin was perplexed.

Elizabeth grabbed her files to leave. "They wanted to find Mikkos on their own."

* * *

Lucky woke up not realizing he had fallen into a deep sleep. The clouds outside his wind caught his eye. _Thank God._ He looked up to the ceiling and said a silent prayer. He was soon diverted to the sound of snoring. Lucky sat up in his seat and noticed Jason lay out across the seat asleep. Lucky got up and pounded his fist in Jason's chest.

Jason sprung up from his rest and also glanced at the window. "What happened?"

Lucky grinned. "How does Sam sleep with you? It was a truck rattling over here."

Jason rubbed his eyes. "Thank God we're still in the air."

"I fear we're well behind schedule." Lucky went back to his seat.

"What's going on with you?" Jason leaned on his knees hoping Lucky would open up to him.

"I guess I'm turning into my dad. When things got rough, he'd jet."

"What the hell happened that night?"

Lucky cleared his throat. "I think my dad shot my sister."

"By accident…"

"Of course…but the results are still the same. Lulu may never walk again."

* * *

Luke couldn't stop shaking his leg until Laura clasped her hand down on his knee to stop him. "Sorry."

"Why don't tell you me why you're so nervous?" Laura waited for an explanation but all she got was Luke looking straight ahead refusing to say much else. "You had a gun that night. I heard shots fired in multiple directions. So I know, while you could be the one that shot Lulu, there were other culprits."

Luke cracked his neck and hopped up from his seat. "I'll take responsibility if I'm at fault. Laura, I feel guilty enough. Why is Stavros still alive?"

"You haven't learned your lesson have you? Trying to kill Stavros solves nothing. This Spencerdine war needs to end…today."

* * *

Mikkos took cover in his old office. He went through boxes of old files that hadn't been shuffled through since the night Lorenzo discovered their existence. He ran his finger across the desk and picked up a thick layer of dust.

"Mom!"

Mikkos paused trying to remember the entrance to the tunnels from his office.

Kristina went down the hall and noticed a light peeking through the half-closed door. "Hello? Is anyone in there? It's Kristina."

Mikkos stopped his searching in wonder. "Kristina? Come in."

Kristina opened the door and walked inside the office. "Oh….I'm sorry. I thought my mom was around." She turned to leave but she held tight to the doorknob and stayed put. "Uh….who are you?"

Mikkos didn't know what to say. He had no clue who the young girl was. All he knew was she seemed a bit young to be the Kristina that Natasha told him was dead. "I'm not sure who you are?"

Kristina approached Mikkos. "I'm Kristina. I'm Alexis and Sonny's daughter."

Mikkos smiled. "You're Kristina…such a striking resemblance to your mother. I'm Mikkosavich."

Kristina's eyes bugged from her head. "Like my dead grandfather? Sam texted me and I was in my own world and totally didn't believe her. Does my mom know about you?"

"Yes. But she doesn't seem to care for me much. I don't know that I blame her." Mikkos went back to sorting through the dusty boxes. Something inside one caught his eye. He pulled out a handful of pictures.

Kristina pointed at the pictures. "I've seen those. Lorenzo took them of my mother at Oxford."

Mikkos admired each photo. "I gave her permission to give Lorenzo a camera as a host gift. Though she told me she was in love with Luis. But we bought the camera and it seems it was one of Lorenzo's prized possessions." He flipped through the stack once more before handing them to Kristina. "Keep them."

Kristina took the photos. "I'm a model."

"I'm not shocked. I'm sure the camera loves you."

"Yea. I failed out of Yale. I'm also an alcoholic. I should just throw that out there. Owning my flaws is the first step to healing."

Mikkos dropped his head.

"I tried to keep my place at Yale. I even told them I was a Cassadine Princess. But that one only got me so far. You think you could call the dean and get me back in?"

Mikkos reached out to Kristina and took her into his arms. "You're a Cassadine. You do know what that means?"

Kristina pulled from him. "I'm learning. I admit I didn't care for Stefan when I first met him. He called my dad a peasant."

_Sonny found Nikolas' sipping wine in Stefan's office. "Really? You got time for a damn drink?"_

_"Why are you here?" Nikolas asked._

_"I dropped off Kristina."_

_"Then you can leave." Nikolas took another sip of wine._

_"Have I told you you're a punk Nikolas?"_

_"Sonny, don't insult me in my home? You and I will never see eye to eye. If Alexis wants you to stay, fine. Stay. Actually, Alexis is indisposed. Stefan will more than likely ask you to leave."_

_Sonny did a double take. "Stefan?"_

_Stefan appeared in the doorway. "Nikolas is correct. You can leave Kristina and my guards will happily escort you from the compound."_

_Sonny plopped down on the sofa in disbelief. "You people are crazy. No wonder Alexis is high strung. Haven't you been dead like multiple times in her life?"_

_"My whereabouts should be none of your concern." Stefan stated angrily._

_Sonny calmly sat back. "I'm going to wait here. If Alexis tells me to leave, I will go. Otherwise, you're stuck with me…For Life."_

_Stefan was unmoved. "If I may quote the words of my sister, Alexis, spoken to you at the funeral of my younger sister, Kristina, dead because of your kind and your lack of give a damn. **'My family, the Cassadines, was staging deadly vendettas while your ancestors were working our fields with the other peasants. I could, in the honor of my family tradition, declare revenge on you, I could place a curse on you, I could vow to make you pay, but that would be redundant. And it certainly wouldn't be necessary at all because you are already cursed.'"**_

_Sonny looked past Stefan and noticed Kristina in the hall. He looked away from her clearly hearing all that Stefan said. "Well looks like this is the start of a long and painful relationship."_

"You said your father's name is Sonny?" Mikkosavich asked.

"Yea. Sonny Corinthos."

"I don't know the name. But Stefan knows a peasant when he sees one."

Kristina bit her lip. "Well you'll figure it out soon enough who Sonny Corinthos is and he's no peasant."

* * *

The Cassadine jet landed without incident but Natasha was able to sustain to Anna's chagrin. Anna decided to keep it to herself that she was aware of the devil that was by her side while Natasha knew she needed to remain undetected. It was the longest that Alexis had been able to exist as Natasha which Anna feared meant the worse.

The twosome arrived at the Barrett mansion in Switzerland. Natasha didn't waste time getting out of the car and going up to the door. Anna didn't much care if Natasha was shot on the spot for her uncouth antics. She searched through her bag for her gun in case a fire fight broke out.

"Alexis it's probably best that you stay behind since I'm armed." Anna shoved the gun in her holster and moved ahead of Natasha to the front door. She knocked. "Is anyone here?"

A maid answered the door. "There is no one here."

"Well except for you." Anna poked her head inside. "You have something that belongs to us." She forced herself past the maid into the sprawling mansion.

"Excuse me but you don't have an appointment I presume." The maid objected.

Natasha pushed the maid aside and stepped inside. "Where is the nursery? My son is here."

The maid turned up nose knowing she couldn't deny anymore. "There is no baby here."

Anna pulled out her gun. "Where is the nursery? Who owns this home?"

"You don't have the authority to ask me questions."

Natasha took to the stairs and once she reached the top, she found an array of rooms all with closed doors. "Where is my little lamb?" She called out hoping for a response. Natasha felt drawn to one room in particular. She opened the door to a nursery.

Anna ran up the stairs. "Be careful Alexis." She followed Natasha into the nursery.

Natasha went to the crib and peered over the bars. Her eyes focused on the Lamby sitting in the corner of the crib. She reached into the crib and snatched up the Lamby.

Anna was devastated. "No…he has to be here."

Natasha cradled the Lamby and inhaled its fur. "This is it. I know his smell." Her hands started to tremble.

The maid made it up to the room. "You are not authorized to be here."

Natasha sat down on the bed that Zander slept on to keep a watchful eye over Mikkos. She held tight to the Lamby.

"Where is the baby?" Anna demanded of the maid.

"Dead." The maid blurted out. "Now you need to leave before my boss returns and have you both tossed into a jail cell."

"Look at that woman." Anna pointed in Natasha's direction. "Do you think those are tears of happiness? The baby that was or is here belongs to her. I get you're doing your job but tell us something to help us find the missing little boy. His name is Mikkos…"

"No." The maid stood up straight. "His name is Alexander…"

"That's his middle name." Natasha stood up with sniffles in her voice. "His name is Mikkosavich Alexander. He's almost two. And he's gone because my intention was to keep him safe. He may have fallen into the wrong hands."

Anna held out her gun. "I'm going to search the house."

"At your own risk." The maid grumbled.

Anna left the maid and Natasha alone in the nursery. Natasha put Lamby back in the crib under the maid's watchful eye. Natasha slipped her hand into her jacket.

"I'm keeping an eye on you." The maid stated with defiance.

Natasha went to the door and slammed it closed. She slipped the coveted dagger from her jacket and shoved the maid against the wall pressing her fingers around the maid's neck. "I'm a good actress. I need her to believe I'm a distraught mother. Yes. I'm sad my little boy is missing but no one will find him but me. Where is he?" She slammed the maid against the wall.

The maid's body shook. "I don't know. Mr. Barrett had him sent away. I don't know more than that."

Natasha thought for a moment. "Barrett? Who is this Barrett?"

"Harlan Barrett." The maid could barely swallow from the pressure of Natasha's fingers on her neck. "Please spare my life. I swear that is all I know."

Natasha pierced the blade of the dagger into the maid's neck drawing blood until she squealed from the pain. "You'll survive if you're telling me the truth. And what you're telling me is the man my father is doing business with kidnapped my son."

"I don't know details." The maid frantically shook her head.

Anna continued down the hall to Harlan's office. She ensured that the coast was clear before going into the office. "I hate the modern age. No paper trail." She spoke in her phone.

Agent Bates sat at Anna's desk at the PCPD. "True but anything you can find would be of help. At least you know the tracking device worked."

Anna opened the desk drawers and found them all empty. "Nothing. Someone knew we were coming."

"Be very careful Agent Devane." Agent Bates said.

The office was in a pristine state as if nothing had been touched. "I'm not seeing anything of value to me." Anna searched the desk for hidden drawers or anything that would lead to something. "I'd hate that we made this trip in vain."

Natasha appeared at the door of the office. "I think we should go."

Anna looked up at Natasha. "Agent Bates I need to go. If you see anything let me know." She hung up the call. "I'm sorry Alexis."

Natasha went to Anna and embraced her. "Thank you for trying but I think it's best that we go home."

Anna's heart fell into her stomach. She felt a strong desire to be honest. "Look…I should tell you that I know you're Natasha."

Natasha's defenses rose up but she remained subdued.

"That being said, I thank you for cooperating with me. We are closer to finding Mikkos."

Natasha nodded in agreement. "Kevin is wrong."

"Wrong about what?"

"I'm not a bad person. What Kevin doesn't understand is that no one was there for me when I needed them the most. So in turn I fight back with what's left of my heart so that no one that I love will have to go through what I went through."

Anna sat down on the desk. "From your file, I know that you allegedly witnessed your mother's murder at the hands of Helena Cassadine."

"There is no alleged. Helena makes it very clear to all what she did to my mother. But that's not where my vengeance lies."

Anna listened with understanding. "I wish you would feel comfortable being forthright with me about everything that Helena did to you and other victims like my son."

"I don't trust you and I never will."

"But I think Alexis trusts me."

"Alexis is weak. She'd be a fool to trust you."

"Why is she weak? I think she's a good and reasonable person."

"She allows herself to be hurt over and over again. I won't let that happen to me."

Voices could be heard down the stairs which put Anna at alert. She grabbed Natasha's hand and pulled her behind her. "It could be the owner." Anna said.

The footsteps grew as they approached the door of the office.

"Hello?" Sam flung the door open.

Anna dropped her gun to her side. "What are you doing here?"

Lucky and Jason appeared behind Sam. "As backup." Lucky said. "I got the address and we thought we'd do our first duty."

Jason stepped up to Natasha. "Where's Mikkos?"

Natasha stared at Jason as if he was out of line to even approach her.

"Alexis why don't you go to the nursery and get Lamby before we go? I'll meet you in the car." Anna said.

Natasha rarely complied with orders but she gave in and left the office. Sam looked back clueless. "What happened?' Sam asked.

Anna pointed out towards the door mouthing the word _Natasha_. Lucky, Jason, and Sam all groaned. "Mikkos isn't here. Whoever took him knew we were coming. They obviously knew about the tracking device in Lamby."

"Does that mean we'll never find him?" Sam asked.

Jason stormed out of the office and in the direction of the nursery. He knocked on the door before going in as Natasha gathered up the toys. "I can't imagine what you're going through right now."

Natasha continued her packing task in silence.

Jason got down on his knees to help her carefully put all the stuffed animals in a suitcase opened on the floor. "I didn't get a lot of time with him. I almost died in a plane crash."

"Sorry to hear." Natasha picked up Lamby and dug around in his fur. "Every second chance at life should be a welcomed chance." She held the Lamby close to her.

"Where is Alexis?"

Natasha flashed Jason a look.

"I visited the island where you grew up."

"You don't know anything about me." Natasha snapped back at him.

"Why are you here? What triggered this incident? Did Anna say something?" Jason rested his hand on Natasha's shoulder to show her that he was safe.

Sam went into the nursery. "Mom? Can you answer Jason's questions? What did Anna do or say? Is this about Franco?"

Natasha was not one to stay backed in a corner for long. She had to think fast. "I need to be alone. This is all too much."

Jason stood up. "And the last thing Sam and I want to do is stress you out. We'll leave you alone." He took Sam by the hand and led her out of the nursery.

Natasha slammed the door shut and breathed a deep sigh of relief to be free of further interrogation. She observed her surroundings until she noticed a wooden cabinet with one of the doors cracked open. She went to the cabinet and opened the door to a photo album tucked away in the corner. She flipped it open and her eyes fell upon the photo of Luis with a woman unfamiliar to her memory. Natasha's finger outlined Luis' figure in the photo. She picked up the album and held it close to her heart. "I wanted him to love me."

Natasha had visited Oxford before but that time she was on her own. From the minute she landed at the airport, she hoped the trip would give her a better outlook. For weeks before she had found herself in a deep funk. She felt tossed aside at every turn. All she ever wanted was for Luis to acknowledge her existence but she also had an ulterior motive—to make his life a living hell for allowing her to go through Stavros' torture in the caves. It was a confusing bundle of emotions that all of Natasha's therapists attributed to teenage hormones but Helena knew better than any other that her fragmentation of Natasha's personality was taking formation.

Luis wasn't at the airport to greet Natasha as she had hoped. Instead it was Lorenzo. She tugged at her backpack hung on her back with a shyness that made her cheeks rosy. _I guess he'll do. _Natasha hadn't seen Lorenzo in years. He had just finished a stint in prison after getting caught with an illegal shipment of arms from Greece. When her eyes met his, Natasha found a subtle beauty in him that she saw through the holes of the stables—her temporary home and birthplace of Alexis Davidovitch.

With her newfound independence, Natasha was determined to regain control of who she was and who her mother intended her to be. She never wanted to know or hear the name Alexis ever again. As Lorenzo approached Natasha, she dropped the backpack to the ground and searched through it for a wrapped gift box. She sprung up to her feet and shoved the gift in Lorenzo's direction. "For you."

Lorenzo coolly smiled and took the box. "You didn't need to bring me a gift."

"I was hoping Luis would come."

Lorenzo's smile faded feeling the sting of constantly being second string to his brother. "He's busy. I am too. I have a class I'm subbing for in a couple hours. But your father called and asked me to assure him that one of us would be here to make sure you got here in one piece."

Natasha stared at Lorenzo feeling a bit in a haze. "I don't think I'll ever truly be whole again." She poked her finger at the box. "Open it. Hope you like it."

Lorenzo ripped the paper from the box and opened it to a camera. "Oh my god. This is nice gift."

"My father said that you like to take pictures. Will you take some of me to send to him?"

Lorenzo dropped the box and held up the camera ready to snap but Natasha held up her hand to the camera. "Come on."

"I'm not ready." She continued to blush as she playfully batted away at the camera but Lorenzo managed to get that perfect first shot of her shinning brighter than any British sun he'd seen during his stay.

* * *

Luke had so many things he wanted to say to Laura but he wasn't the kind of guy to pour out his heart knowing that Laura's heart belonged to someone else—his enemy. "This war will never end. I love you and it seems Count Vlad feels the same. And then there's that pesky pain in the ass called Stavros Cassadine. As long as he lives, none of us can be at peace."

Laura was thrown. She hadn't heard that word come from Luke's mouth to her in years. She didn't realize the feelings still existed. "Would you say these things to me if Lulu weren't in a bad situation?"

"Believe what you want Laura. We took down evil together. That's a bond that will never be broken. I don't believe in a heaven nor a hell but something unseemly amongst the Cassadines is rising up and we gotta pick sides. I want you on my side."

"There are no sides Luke. The Spencerdine War is over and our daughter was almost a casualty. So it's time to let it go."

* * *

Sonny couldn't take his eyes off of the sonogram. He slumped down on the couch with a glass of Scotch in one hand and the picture in another. He grinned from ear to ear until he could sense someone in the room. He arched his head towards the door creeping open. "Who is it?"

"It's Kristina." She went in and immediately took notice of the picture in her father's hand. "Is this a bad time?"

Sonny handed her the sonogram. "Our new baby." His dimples sunk in his cheeks.

Kristina reluctantly took the photo. She couldn't remember the last time she saw her father beam with pride. She decided not to rain on his parade. She dug into her purse and pulled out a photo of her teenage mother fending off the camera.

"What's that?" Sonny sat up and slipped the photo from Kristina's fingers. "Is this your mother?"

"Yes. Guess who gave it to me?"

"Who?"

"My grandfather."

Sonny almost let his drink slip through his fingers but he reinforced his tight hold to his glass. "You saw him?"

Kristina nodded. "He's at Wyndemere."

Sonny stood up and studied the picture. "Can I keep this?"

"Sure."

"I think I'm going to pay your grandfather a visit."

"You think that's a good idea?"

Sonny shrugged. "It's only proper that I ask his blessing."

Kristina groaned. "I don't know Dad. He has no clue who you are. He even said that if Stefan thought you were a peasant than maybe you are. He's just some stuck up aristocrat."

Sonny finished his drink. "I've dealt with much worse. I've developed a thick skin over the years. I'll be fine." He kissed Kristina's face. "But I appreciate you worrying about my feelings."

"I just know what it's like to not feel good enough." Kristina handed Sonny back the sonogram. "Congratulations on the new baby. I really hope you and my mom can finally be happy."


	14. Chapter 14

_**I decided to start a fun Shawn and Alexis fic. It's call "Beautiful Stranger". Check it out. **_

**Chapter 14**

_The sun shines on this funeral. The same as on a birth. The way it shines on everything that happens here on earth. It rolls across the western sky. And back into the sea. And spends the day¹s last rays upon this fucked-up family. So long old pal._-James Taylor

The rains poured down on Port Charles as if it was spring. The warmth of the water pierced Alexis' skin while she jogged across the docks without an umbrella. She just wanted to feel the rains beating down on her just to know that she was still alive. She stopped at the bench and remembered Jax admiring her precious little boy. As she wiped the rain from her face and smoothed out her hair before sitting down, she noticed a rainbow appearing in the skies above Wyndemere.

_Jax waited on the docks for Alexis to arrive from Spoon Island. He watched her from afar unloading Mikkos' stroller from the ramp of the launch. Finally being a parent, he realized the joy he felt after years of being a jet-setter. Even from a distance, he could tell that Mikkos brought that same joy to Alexis after all she'd gone through in the last couple months. Seeing her, his excitement grew in spades._

_Alexis bent over the stroller. "Mikkos, meet your Uncle Jax. Uncle Jax, meet Mikkos."_

_Jax was a puddle. He reached into the stroller and stroked Mikkos' face still maintain his baby Grecian tan. "I want another one."_

_"With Carly? Lord knows she doesn't need anymore. Her eldest has Mommy issues, but you didn't hear that from me." Alexis kissed Jax._

_"I'm single." Jax nervously slipped his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. "Want to offer your womb again?"_

_Alexis touched her face. "Let me think about it. We had a rough patch, Mikkos and I. But I would do it again."_

_"I heard…about the rough patch. You ok now?"_

_"I've been better."_

"Alexis?"

Alexis looked up at Lorenzo hovering over her. "Yes?"

Lorenzo removed his coat and offered it to her but she waved it away. "You shouldn't be out here in the cold and rain."

"It's actually quite warm." She smiled at him. "But thank you anyway."

"The funeral is soon. Will you be there?"

Alexis slowly nodded.

"I'm glad you returned safely. I was concerned."

"Why?" Alexis looked at him.

"You don't remember anything do you?"

"No. I woke up in my bed at the lake house this morning. Dr. Lee was there as was Kevin. That's all I know."

* * *

Sonny stepped outside to Lila's rose garden. The staff was setting up chairs in a circular formation.

_Alexis sat down in between Sonny and Jax both begrudgingly quiet. "I refuse to be paraded down the aisle like some matriarch." She grabbed at the pearls on her neck. "I borrowed a pair of Lila's pearls. Remember my anxiety about pearls?" She noticed both of them unresponsive. "Is this how it's gonna be with the two of you today?"_

_Jax shrugged his shoulders. "I'm here for Sam."_

_"Likewise." Sonny crossed his leg over his knee and slumped in his chair._

Sonny felt a tap on his shoulder. He quickly turned to Brenda. "You ok?"

Brenda held up her arm free of the cast but covered in a bandage. "It was just a sprain. You staying for the memorial service?"

"No. I think it's best that Molly and Spencer not be here so I'm staying with them. We'll meet everyone at the repast at the Metro Court."

"Is Spencer ok?"

Sonny winced. "He's confused."

Brenda motioned up towards the sky. "The rain subsided. Looks like Jax is going to have a beautiful day."

"Looks like it."

Brenda watched Sonny pick a rose from the garden. "I heard Mikkos is still missing."

"Yea." He handed the rose to Brenda. "Be careful of the thorns. Alexis doesn't remember the trip."

"How?" Worry colored Brenda's face.

"Natasha was triggered. Anna doesn't know what triggered her but she remained most of the trip. Anna convinced Natasha to go to the lake house. Lorenzo called Dr. Collins to meet them there. Somehow Dr. Collins was able to bring Alexis back."

"Well that's good right? Kevin has it under control."

Sonny shook his head.

Brenda's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"As I said, Dr. Collins had to coax Alexis back. I'm losing her Brenda. I'm losing Alexis to Natasha."

* * *

Lucy went to the lake house and let herself inside. "Doc?" She rushed inside and found Kevin passed out on the floor next to the couch. "Doc!"

Kevin woke up startled from Lucy shaking him awake. "I'm ok."

"What the hell happened to you?"

Kevin pulled up to his feet. He yanked at his disheveled clothes. "I just wanted to be here when Alexis woke up. I prefer the floor." He grabbed at his aching back.

"I ran into her at Kelly's. She said I could find you here. What happened?"

Kevin rubbed his eyes. "I think we have a bit of a problem."

"What?"

"Natasha is back and she's not planning to go anywhere without a fight."

"How do you know?"

"I had to force Alexis out of Natasha. It was not easy. But it's getting easier for Alexis to channel Natasha. And Natasha fully intends to stick around as long as she can."

* * *

Luke swirled his whiskey as he eyed the dart board across the room. He picked up a dart from the counter and aimed it before lunging it into the bull's eye. Ethan ran down the stairs of the Haunted Star and pulled the dart out tossing it back to Luke.

"You going to the funeral?"

"Doubtful." Luke pressed the dart against his eye hoping for another bull's eye. "By the pricking of my thumbs something wicked this way comes. Open locks. Whoever knocks!"

"And thy name is Natasha standing there when you open the door." Ethan grabbed a bowl of nuts on the counter and popped a couple in his mouth.

Luke put down the dart and scrunched up his face. "Natasha? Where you getting your intelligence?"

"I'm on her hit list."

"What hit list?"

"She wants to kill me. I don't want to say more than that."

"Because she found a condom in her kid's room?"

Ethan buried his face in his hands. "I am never living that down am I? Honestly, I wish it was that simple. How did you know about that?"

"Sonny wants your head on a platter."

Luke ran his whiskey glass under his nose and inhaled the potent smell of alcohol. "Something is rising from the ashes of Spoon Island."

Ethan continued to eat the nuts from the bowl. "Natasha. You keep focusing on Stavros. How much you wanna bet he mysteriously goes missing?" He reached for the whiskey bottled and poured himself a drink. He held up the glass to Luke. "Don't let down your guard Mate. I love Kristina, but I don't trust her mother as far as I can throw her. And according to Anna, Natasha gave her a bit of a ride when they went to Switzerland."

Luke tossed back his drink down his throat. "Natasha's my girl. I'm not worried about her."

* * *

Alexis stripped all of wet clothes from her body and wrapped herself in a fluffy towel. She found comfort in a corner of Mikkos' nursery where she just wanted to get lost and not have anyone care if she was ever found. She renewed her hope that Mikkos would be found. She even believed she could hear him tossing and turning in his crib from an afternoon nap.

"Alexis!"

Alexis broke from her daydream back to reality. "I'm in the nursery!"

Sonny opened the door. He averted his eyes to the ground where Alexis sat cradled in the corner.

_Sonny found Alexis cowered in a corner. "I'm sorry." He said. "He stole my plane. I just wanted to scare him a little."_

_She rested her pounding head on the side of her bed. "I think I understand how Molly felt after the bus crash."_

_Sonny sat down on the floor next to her. "You ever think maybe you have post-traumatic stress disorder?"_

_"Dr. Michael Corinthos on the case." She joked._

_"I'll rip up the bill if you come back to Port Charles."_

_"I'm not leaving." Alexis said._

"The funeral is in like an hour. You're going right?" Sonny stuttered.

"I don't think so. I can't do anymore death."

"I'm with you on that. But I think you'd feel better saying goodbye to Jax. You never got to see his body."

"What does it matter if he's dead? You've seen one dead body, you've seen them all." Alexis sighed and rested her head back against the wall. "I miss my little boy."

Sonny got down on the ground next to her. "Mike was telling me he forgets and makes a tea expecting that you'll walk through the door with Mikkos in your arms. You know what? Brenda gave me the best idea."

"How is she?"

"Good."

"And Nikolas?"

"He was at the Q's when I left. We didn't speak. We're ok. There's no beef or anything."

"Good." Alexis smiled.

"Brenda's idea was maybe I should take you to the ballet in New Hampshire or even the city. I think it's a great idea. Maybe it'll help you remember more pleasant things about your past. You enjoyed the ballet right?"

Alexis nodded. "I did. Which one? The Nutcracker is over."

"Are you opposed to Romeo and Juliet?"

"Don't they kill themselves at the end? Kind of depressing."

"I think we should roll with it. And it's not about the ballet. More than anything it's about that moment in time where we both felt like we belonged to something. Granted I looked across the way and saw that group of rich girls in their uniforms laughing and giggling, but I'm certain I saw one staring at me." Sonny flashed his dimpled smiled.

Alexis grinned. "She was admiring you and your beautiful mother. And I'm betting she missed her own. I loved a boy that loves his mother. I could tell you loved yours very much. I'm sure you could've taken any girl in the booths across the way to the ballet but you chose to take your mother instead."

* * *

Stavros locked himself in his room at the Metro Court. The last thing he expected to hear was a knock on his door. He decided he would just sit in a comfortable chair and ponder his next move. For a moment he felt abandoned by his own mother. The knock continued but louder.

"Please answer the door." Helena's voice pleaded on the other side.

Stavros shook off his funk and got up to answer the door. "Mother?"

Helena forced herself in and closed the door. She caressed his face in her hands. "I'm sorry. I've been occupied." She clutched her purse under her arm are she checked out Stavros' room. "You deserve better. You've been faithful to me."

"You make it sound like a marriage, Mother."

Helena went to him again just wanting to shower him with kisses as she did when he was little boy but she realized he was no longer a child. "You're the only one I can trust."

"Faison cannot be trusted. He never could."

"Believe it or not, Faison is not my concern. Your father is."

Stavros raised his brow. "Father is alive. Is he well?"

"Quite…well. You'd think Lorenzo was his son. You should have seen him fawning over him. You have to return to the tunnels. Plead your case to Mikkos and get back in his good graces. He adores Nikolas."

"I imagine that Father hasn't forgotten."

"Forgotten what?"

"The caves?"

Helena looked past Stavros. "What happened in the caves was never confirmed. Luis Alcazar is dead. He was the only witness."

"He was not. Valentin was there."

"Who would believe a man that's lied about his identity all of these years."

"He did it to protect himself from you, Mother. You killed his mother, Alexandra Alcazar. Dose he even know that she was his mother?"

"Alexandra slept with my husband." Helena spoke through her teeth. "She gave Mikkos his firstborn son. What I did was to protect you and eventually Nikolas. Now what? The two bastard children are rising up to claim both the Cassadine name and fortune. It won't happen as long as I'm alive. You are the heir as is Nikolas."

"And how does Brenda Barrett factor into all of this? You wanted so desperately for Nikolas to fall in love with her."

"I'd hate to see Nikolas heartbroken again, but your father will be the reason for Nikolas' undoing if all falls through with Harlan Barrett."

* * *

Nikolas stepped outside to the rose garden and noticed Brenda sitting in one of the chairs in meditative silence. He felt around in his pocket as if he had something in there. Brenda looked over at him with a faint smile.

"May I interrupt?" Nikolas went to her. He looked up to the sky with the rainbow catching his eyes.

Brenda looked up as well. "I'm glad the rains stopped. Carly should be here soon. She called me. She's having a really hard time with this."

Nikolas dropped down to one knee.

Brenda was taken aback. "What are you doing? You're gonna get your pants dirty in the mud."

"Always thinking about fashion eh?"

"Those are really nice pants."

Nikolas slipped his hand from his pocket with the golden Faberge egg cradled between his fingers. He held it up to Brenda.

"I remember that egg. You gave it to Lulu when she was a baby. It was a Cassadine family heirloom. And then Lulu gave it to Sam to put it back in the Cassadine family. Does Sam know that you have it?"

"You hate diamonds."

Brenda nodded. "I do. Do you understand why?"

"I know it has something to do with Sonny."

"I never understood why Sonny and I couldn't figure it out. I don't want to say diamonds are to blame but they've never done me any favors."

"Me either. Did you know that eggs symbolize new life and fertility?"

Brenda took the egg from Nikolas' hand. "I do. Are you're giving this me for good luck?"

_Alexis stopped her admiration in the mirror and turned to him waiting. "You know how to do this." She grabbed at his tie flattered that he'd ask._

_"I want you to do it." He gave her a boyish grin. "I'm glad you're coming to the party tonight. Maybe I won't be so nervous now. Brenda called from the limo. She's on the way here."_

_Alexis pulled at his tie to make sure the bow was secure. She remembered the first time Nikolas ever asked her to fix his tie. "You want to talk to me about something don't you?"_

_"How did you know?" He turned to the mirror. "I wanted to talk to you about surrogacy." He looked back at her. "I think I want to take that step."_

_"How far in the process are you?"_

_"Not at all. I discussed some things with Dr. Jackson yesterday. I have no surrogate and I don't have a donor. I have ideas, but they all seem laughable."_

_"Nikolas, why do you want children? You don't strike me as the type that wants kids."_

_"Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. But I miss Spencer and Aiden."_

_"I bet you miss Emily as well."_

_Nikolas looked at the ground. "Why you have to go and bring her up? Yes. It's true. I'll never find anyone like her. And that's the tragedy of my life. If you went down the list of every woman that I can say I truly loved, something always seemed to come in between us. Does that mean I'm doomed to be just like my father? These are things I worry about."_

_"I knew your father better than you could ever imagine him. He's a horrible man. He's so horrible I don't even like to discuss his name. I assure you, Nikolas, that you could never be like him. I know you have your moments of guile, but you always manage to come back to us." Alexis smiled._

"I stole Sam's eggs."

"The ones that went missing from GH?"

Nikolas cleared his throat. "With Franco's help, Helena stole them first and gave them to me. From there I went to Dr. Jackson to see if it was possible to look into surrogacy. And I wanted you to be the carrier. I lied about not having a donor. I was hoping to talk myself out of it."

Brenda slowly nodded. "It all makes sense. The conversation that we had at the fundraiser at Gallos'. You had a plan all the time and yet you were angry at me for being suspicious of your family? Why didn't you just tell the truth?"

"I didn't know then if I could trust you."

"Why was it me that needed to prove myself to you? You stole Sam's eggs."

"But if it hadn't happened, we wouldn't have Mikkos." Nikolas looked to the ground. "And I'm not going to apologize for that. With all that being said, Sam and Jason know what I did and they've forgiven me for it. I just needed to come clean to you. We can't move forward with lies."

Brenda clasped the egg tight in her hand. "I agree."

"Will you marry me?" Nikolas looked to her again hoping for her instant approval.

Brenda laughed. "You just told me that you helped sabotage my good friend's pregnancy and now you're asking me to marry you? How does that work? What if things hadn't worked out?"

"I've never been known for my tact." Nikolas rested his hand on Brenda's knee. "You care about me in spite of me. When I couldn't say a word and I was lying in that hospital bed feeling sorry for myself, you said the right words to me. I've kept them close to my heart. I admit that I use my power of influence for evil instead of for good. But I want you to teach me how to be a better person. Show me that it doesn't matter that I'm the son of a despicable man. I can still be a good person. I need to learn quickly because there's a missing little boy that will probably have the same questions about who he is and who he should be. I want to have the answers for him."

"You're that guy that uses their cute dog to pick up women or in your case your grandfather's weather machine to give me a memorable holiday." Brenda laughed.

"I was going to leave you. Sam and I were stuck in the tunnels the night before the Nurses' Ball. I told her I was in love with her." Nikolas wrapped his hands around Brenda's still clutching the golden egg. "I don't know what I was thinking. You just have those moments where you cling to someone who you feel is safe."

"That's Jax for me." Brenda stared out at the podium amongst the array of flowers sent in memory of Jax. "We had sex more than likely at the same time that you were pouring out your heart to Sam. So where does that leave us? Jax is dead and Sam is your happily married cousin. How convenient."

Nikolas focused on Brenda. "I will prove to you that I only have eyes for you. I don't know how but I will."

* * *

Johnny threw on an apron at Kelly's and grabbed a towel to wipe down the counters. Morgan walked in.

"Mornin'" Morgan went to the counter. "You stepping in for Grandpa?"

"Yep. He's heading to the memorial service. Told your dad yet?" Johnny poured Morgan a cup of coffee.

"I haven't told my mom or my dad. And Michael isn't saying anything. He's not even speaking to me. But I have to commend him for stepping in with Josselyn. She has no clue that something is wrong and that's what's most important to all of us. Johnny, what would you say to me if I was your son?"

Johnny grunted. "Does it look like I have a problem with you now?"

"But I'm not your son."

"Morgan, there's a strong chance that I'll have to lose my kid simply because the mother doesn't think I'm good enough to be a father to it. I have no room to judge anybody. And my kids will always be important to me no matter what. Give Sonny the benefit of the doubt. He might surprise you."

The front door of Kelly's opened and Zander walked in. Johnny and Morgan both looked in the direction of the cool air flowing in but neither of them recognized his face.

Zander strolled up to the counter and dug in his pockets pulling out his wallet. "I just wanted a cup of coffee. Can you break a hundred dollar bill?"

Johnny found a to-go cup and poured Zander's coffee. "No worries. It's on the house. I can't break a bill that large. Never seen you around before. You from here?"

Zander grabbed the coffee and took a sip. "Uh…kind of. I lived here a couple years ago. Neither of you look familiar to me either. Guess I've been gone longer than I thought. It's kind of dead around here."

"Most of the town is heading to a funeral." Morgan chimed in.

"Sorry about your loss. I gotta go. Thanks for the coffee. I'll have proper change next time." Zander nodded his head before taking off for the door.

Once Zander reached outside he noticed a young dark-haired boy roll up to the door on his bicycle. He watched the boy, Cameron, with wonder as he hopped off his bike for his usual routine of chaining it to the pole before going inside. But Cameron was in such a hurry that he caught his watch on the handle bar and broke the band. His watch fell to the ground.

Zander rushed over and picked up the watch. His memory flashed and he thought maybe he'd seen it before.

"Doggonit!" Cameron snatched the watch from Zander's fingers. "Sorry. I don't mean to be rude but my mom's gonna kill me. She told me that I don't know how to take care of nice things." He stomped his foot as he tried his hardest to piece the band back together.

Zander smiled and he dropped down to Cameron's level. 'It's alright. They just don't make 'em like they used to. You made a mistake. It's fixable. But that's a pretty nice watch. My mother gave me a nice watch once. I took good care of it. Well that was until I lost it. But I doubt she'd stop loving me because I lost it."

"Cam!" Elizabeth's voice called from afar.

"That's my mom. She's on the way to a funeral but promised we could stop for peanut butter cookies." Cameron pulled off his helmet and held it under his arm.

Zander ruffled Cameron's messy hair. "It was nice meeting you. Don't worry. Your mom will gripe but it's not a big deal." He stood up and hurried off down the trail to the docks.

Elizabeth made it to Cameron with Aidan struggling in her arms. "Why did you take off like that? I told you to keep up with me. You could get hit by a car or something."

Cameron sighed. "I'm a big boy. I can ride my bike by myself."

Elizabeth caught the watch dangling from Cameron's hand. "What happened to your watch?"

"I broke it. Don't say I told you so!" Cameron stomped away and into Kelly's before Elizabeth could say another word.

Zander continued on to the docks and found Helena waiting for him. "If it isn't the Queen."

Helena turned to Zander and played with the diamond earring in her ear. "Alexander. Where is the boy?"

"He's back at the cabin. I figured I could sneak and grab a coffee or something. I should get back to him." Zander started to go but Helena put out her arm against his chest.

"You do recall why you're here?"

"Yea. I know."

Lorenzo started around the corner of the warehouse but he stopped seeing Zander and Helena in the distance.

"Protect the Queen, Alexander." Helena spoke slowly.

"Yes Helena. I know. Can I just get adjusted first?" Zander refused to raise his eyes to hers.

Chills went up and down Lorenzo's spine as he watched and listened to the words that haunted his dreams.

"Protect your Queen, Lorenzo."

Little Lorenzo wrapped his arms around himself as he shivered on the cold, marble floor having just slipped into a puddle of his mother's wasted blood. He couldn't speak. He was afraid his screams would lend him to the same fate as well. The sweat of fever poured down his face meeting the tears that ran down his rosy cheeks. The shock forced him still until a blood-curdling scream fell from Helena's deceitful lips in false horror. She waded through the pool of blood with care until she reached the scared little boy. "You didn't protect the Queen, Lorenzo. This is all your fault." She whispered in his ear as she wrapped a blanket around him and gathered him in her arms.

Lorenzo fell back against the concrete warehouse wall still paralyzed by the memories. _Who is that young man? And what is Helena doing to him?_ He looked out again at Helena and Zander. She finally released Zander to go on his way. Lorenzo made sure to keep an eye on Zander as he faded into the distance through the woods.

* * *

Carly gathered a bouquet of golden wattles in her hand and placed them in front of Jax' s portrait of him cradling their newborn baby, Josselyn. "Your smile was just as golden as these flowers." She kissed her fingers and touched Jax's face in the photo. "We had our ups and downs. But I know all you wanted was for me to live. Zander taught me to drive but you taught me to sail on even the roughest waters." She felt a soft hand on her shoulder. Looking up she came face to face with Lois.

"You ok?" Lois squatted down next to Carly. "We're ready to take Jax to the cemetery.

"Where is Alexis?" Tears flowed from Carly's eyes. "How could she not be here?"

The rains started to pour down again and what little bit of the sun hid behind the clouds. Alexis took her time to put on her jogging clothes again. She decided to take a casual run by the cemetery. She took the path where Natasha nabbed a frightened Franco from his tumble down the hill. None of it jogged her memory. Alexis was numb to it all. Even the rain hitting her face didn't cause her to flinch.

Alexis finally made it to the cemetery. Her first stop was the grave of Ric Lansing. "We weren't perfect but you didn't deserve to die. I miss your jokes. I miss your ambition. And yea I'm marrying your brother. I'd like to see you turn in your grave over that one." She continued her tour until she stopped at the headstone that read Baby Lila Corinthos. She placed her hand over her heart and said a silent prayer. "I hope you'll forgive me. You live in Kristina. I tell her every chance that I get that her life is precious and she shouldn't take it for granted. She shouldn't take you for granted."

Alexis strolled down the line until she stopped at B.J.'s grave. "Tony never truly recovered from losing you. No one understands what it's like to lose child until you do. It's heartbreak where the broken heart is irreplaceable. But you did your mother and father proud with giving yours to a sick little girl."

Alexis continued to Stone's grave. She looked up to the heavens as the rains fell heavily upon her. "I know I owe Robin an apology. What I said to her was unforgivable. But you know Robin better than I do. I hope you know what my intentions were as far as shielding my son from the disaster that was her brother, Franco. But he's gone and I have to come to grips with my fears. I will apologize to her."

She bent over and dug up some of the dirt around Alec's grave. "May the force continue to be with you Jedi Youngling. I know your mommy misses you. I hope you're taking care of my porcelain baby. That doll was all I had during my darkest hours. She remained by my side most of my life until I gave her to Nikolas and then laid her to rest with you."

Alexis noticed the limo with Jax's body arrive. Her eyes shifted to the plot of dirt stacked to the side and the six feet deep of earth ready to receive Jax. She found a purple flower blossoming at the base of a tree. She picked it up and went to Jax's plot. "I'm sorry that I can't stay. I'm not ready to stay goodbye to my best friend." Tears muddled her voice. "You were more than my best friend. I don't know how to describe you. You were my husband. You were a devoted husband. Why did we never stay together? Don't answer that. Your destiny was someone else as was mine. Don't you wish you were still alive? You could finally have Brenda." She laughed through her tears. "But I know you'd be vehemently opposed to my marriage to Sonny. Because you were the White Knight—to all of us. You gave me the will that stated that I was actually recognized as my father's daughter. You gave me back my mother's necklace. You gave me back my sister until I lost her again. If my mother was alive, she'd never forgive me for losing my sister twice. My father shouldn't either. I guess I hate him before he can hate me."

Alexis decided to sneak out quickly before the crowd started to form at Jax's grave. She ducked into the woods and as she made her way down a dirt path she noticed a young man walking in the distance. She could only see him from behind but her senses were heightened. His hair and his body shape struck her memory but Alexis didn't trust her memories much anymore. She wanted to follow the young man through the woods but thought it silly to put herself and her baby in danger. Though she couldn't take her eyes off of Zander journeying back to his cabin home, she decided against her motherly instincts and went on her way back to the lake house.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Jason and Sam couldn't tell if their lack of discretion was their grief or just the reality that they almost lost each other. When they watched Anna and Natasha leave the sprawling Barrett mansion for the airport, neither of them wanted to return to the only place they knew as home.

Lucky decided he wanted to just get lost in Zurich. So he set off on his own hoping to bump into any clues that would lead him to the missing child. But even in his trek through the town's square, he realized he wasn't looking much at all but merely buying time before he had to be faced with the reality of his family falling apart. In his walk far from the mansion, he was drawn to a bar. He hadn't taken a drink in months probably even close to year. But the excuses of _just one wouldn't hurt_ pounded in his head.

Jason and Sam decided to take one last sweep of the mansion for any signs that they could find of either Mikkos or the owner of the home. It was a ghost town and even the staff had cleared. After Natasha released her from her the pinning of the dagger, the maid decided to pack up what she could and haul ass for her life in hopes of not having to betray her master any further. Harlan expected she'd have to reveal some. He wasn't concerned. For him, the details were in the fall out. As long as the ends justified the means, all was well for his plan.

Jason and Sam met back at Harlan's office. Both of them were distraught by what they couldn't find. They realized that Mikkos' keeper outsmarted them all. Jason started to change his mind about lingering in a place unfamiliar to them any longer. He missed his little girl more than anything. But Sam had another agenda in mind. She and Jason were the poster children of two ships passing in the night.

Their honeymoon on the Cassadine Islands was more like a history lesson about Sam's abysmal gene pool. And Sam was still plagued with guilt of seeing Franco's face if ever Jason tried to touch her. Jason eventually gave up.

"I think we should have sex in every one of these rooms." Sam couldn't believe she said it. She couldn't hide her anger but she also couldn't hide her desire to take advantage of the peace and quiet. They were too far away from disruption to waste it. Even Luke couldn't claim being an intermediary in what should have been their time alone on their honeymoon.

Jason could barely catch his breath. _Is she joking?_ "Really?"

Sam pulled Jason close to her. "You could have died. That night that you didn't come home, I just kept thinking how horribly our honeymoon went."

"No it was necessary. Everything we've gone through happened for a reason."

"Even what happened to me?"

Jason winced hoping to not mince his words. "More than anything I know you wanted to find your father. And you found him alright. I knew it wouldn't be easy. And despite the fact that he and I aren't on the same team, I know he loves you. He made a mistake. But I realize that it could have happened on my watch too."

"We're going to find Mikkos aren't we?"

"Yea. Of course we are."

* * *

The rains stopped pouring but the wheels in Lorenzo's head never stopped turning. He didn't sleep much the night before. Something didn't sit right with him after what he saw on the docks. It took him what seemed like hours to finally make a move towards joining civilization outside his front door. He hopped out of the shower. Checking himself in the mirror as he dressed, he pondered all that was missing. _I've gain so much but lost as well._ He missed his walks on the beach where he'd dip his cupped hands into the ocean's waters and stare at his reflection in the rippled waves.

But Lorenzo also missed times when Lila Rae was a newborn baby and telling her how he couldn't wait to show her how to break horses or do the same things that boys know how to do. It's what he most admired about Natasha—her ability to roll with the punches despite being the only girl. The moments that he spent with Natasha on the island became vivid in his memory when before when he'd walk the beaches of Malibu with his living unbeknownst to anyone, he could barely recall her. But he found himself drawn to finishing a painting of the face of the girl who shined like the sun in the gray gloom of Oxford.

"I've gotta find out who that boy is and what Helena is doing to him. I can't let him go through what I've gone through." Lorenzo slid on his suit coat and sniffed the moist air as he stepped outside his door. The rainbow above Wyndemere lingered. He even thought maybe it was King Mikkosavich sending a signal to carry all of his children home to Spoon Island.

Lorenzo continued down the muddied path in the direction that he could remember seeing the young man go. He realized that he left without a gun. _Shit._ But he couldn't turn back. He convinced himself that having a gun would come off as menacing to a stranger. As he approached the cabin in the woods, he stopped his movements to hear what he thought was the sound of a child babbling in the distance. But once Lorenzo grew silent, the sound went away. He arched his neck to try to look into one of the windows but the shutters were closed.

Lorenzo wondered where his sudden fear came from. _It must be a figment of my imagination._ He clasped his fist to knock on the door. "Hello. Does anyone live here?" He paused hoping he could catch any stirring in the background. It was dead silence. He knocked again. "Hello. My name is Alcazar."

A whiff of wind struck him by surprise as the door flew open with Zander standing there with a gun perched in his hand. "Alcazar? What do you want? You following me?"

Lorenzo took a couple steps back and raised his hands above his head. "Listen. I just came to warn you. Don't mess with Helena Cassadine."

"Why is what I do your concern?" Zander's hand shook. He couldn't believe his eyes. He wished he had the picture. He had slipped it in his pocket but decided to leave it behind along with the rest of the photo album. Lorenzo's face was vaguely familiar to him. "I know an Alcazar. I was told to be weary of the Alcazars."

Lorenzo eyed the gun barrel pointed straight at him. "Listen Son. I don't know you."

"I know you. I think I know you. But I don't want to look like a fool if I'm wrong."

Lorenzo peered over Zander's shoulder. "How about you let me come inside? And we can talk. I don't know what Helena has up her sleeve. But I fully intend to stop her before she goes too far." He moved forward but Zander pressed the gun deep into Lorenzo's stomach. "Come on."

"Why should I trust you? My father told me not to trust an Alcazar."

"Who is your father?" Lorenzo lowered his hands and wrapped his fingers around the gun. "I'm unarmed. You're not gonna kill an unarmed man are you?"

Zander dropped his gunned hand to his side. "I can't let you in. My kid is sleeping."

"Ok. We'll talk out here."

"Daddy!" Mikkos' voice carried outside to Lorenzo's ear.

Lorenzo grabbed at his chest recognizing the inflection in the child's voice. "Boy or girl?"

Zander looked back behind him for a minute and turned back to Lorenzo. "Boy."

"Please allow me to go inside." Lorenzo motioned forward but the gun was shoved into his stomach again. "I got issues with kids and guns."

"You're being really pushy. Screw this!" Zander went back inside and slammed the door in Lorenzo's face.

"I'm not leaving." Lorenzo pressed his ear to the closed door. "I'd know that little voice anywhere." He slipped down onto the stoop in front of the door. "Am I losing my mind?" He buried his face in his hands wishing he could distinguish between what was real and what was just his imagination.

* * *

Anna had her own decisions to make and one of them was to start fresh. She didn't know much about Franco. She even tried to convince herself that she shouldn't care. He was only in her life for a couple months. Same with Mikkos. She didn't believe for a minute that her grandson would be found.

She sat down on the bench in the park and watched Elizabeth playing with Aidan in the sandbox. The guilt overcame Anna when she watched Aidan and imagined Mikkos taking in the joy of playing in the sand. Anna felt a kiss upon her forehead. She raised her eyes to David who took a seat next to her.

David crossed his legs. "I hate when it's unseasonably warm."

"I hate talking about the weather. I know there are other things that you wish to discuss."

"I got a mysterious phone call today. Heavy breathing and shit."

Anna stared at David. "Well? Still?"

"I don't know what this is about."

"Project Orpheus. Come on. Don't be coy." Anna's phone buzzed until she answered. "What? I'm kind of enjoying a day off. Fine. I'll stop by." She hung up her phone. "Sonny's reporting his plane missing."

David grabbed Anna's hand. "You should go help the mobster find his plane. I'll hang out here."

Anna got up and headed off.

Dr. Jackson walked over to David and took a seat next to him. "You're Dr. Hayward correct?"

David sat up at alert. "Depends on who's asking."

"You've been summoned to Wyndemere."

* * *

Lorenzo rested his head back against the door and waited.

"I love you. You love me. We're a happy family." Zander's voice was muffled but could be heard right outside the door.

Lorenzo shot up ready to bang on the door but he thought better of it. He took a moment to think before knocking. "It's Alcazar."

Zander flung the door open and cut his eyes at Lorenzo. "Why the hell are you still here?"

"Ok. I might be going crazy. I won't deny it. But I swear I could hear the voice of a child in here."

"I told you my son is in here. And it's his lunch time."

"So you sing that to him to get him to eat?"

"Yea. You got issues with the purple dinosaur?"

"No." Lorenzo laughed. "I'd like to meet your son. If I may? I had a son. He's dead."

Zander wanted to break down into tears swearing that the man in front of him was his father. "Your son's not dead."

Lorenzo rested his tired body against a tree. "Can you explain to me what you're saying?"

"I'm your son."

Lorenzo wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had to think quickly in his response. "How do you know?" He stood upright again and moved closer to Zander. "You said your father…"

"He's not my biological father. He took me in and raised me as his own. He showed me pictures of my mother and father together. He said my father was killed. But I guess he lied to me. Because you're the man in those pictures."

Lorenzo reached out to Zander and pulled him into a hug. "Oh my God. I thought you were gone forever." He tried his hardest to see inside the cabin through the cracked door hoping to catch a glimpse of the child inside.

Zander pulled away from Lorenzo. "Who told you I was dead?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you. Helena Cassadine cannot be trust. Do you understand me?"

"Daddy!" Mikkos desperately called out.

Lorenzo grew anxious. "How about you and me and your son have lunch together? We can all talk. Why would I hurt my own son?"

Zander grabbed at his stomach in pain. "I don't know. Helena would kill me."

"I will protect you. I won't lose you again."

Zander closed the door and took a seat. "I'm supposed to protect the Queen." He choked up tears. "This is really hard. I'm confused and scared all at the same time."

"I know the feeling." Lorenzo sat down next to Zander. "I was just a little boy when my mother was killed. I slipped and fell into a pool of her blood. She just lay there—dead. She couldn't hold me and tell me that everything was going to be ok. To this day I cringe at touching the floor. I see my mother's blood spilled everywhere."

Zander pulled his knees to his chest. "Do you remember my mother?"

Lorenzo didn't know how long he could keep up his lie. "Why don't you tell me what you remember about her? She hurt me by taking you away from me."

"I'm no better. Don't tell anybody but I kidnapped my son from his mother. I only did it because when everyone finds out what I did, I'll never see him again. I had one more job to do for Helena and Alexander and I could disappear again. She promised me that she would protect us."

* * *

"Alexis!" Sonny called for her from the bottom of the stairs. "We're only gonna be gone one night."

Upstairs in Sonny's bedroom, Alexis forced her suitcase closed and struggled to zip it shut. "I can't wear the same outfit for breakfast and then lunch and then the ballet. And what if I gain weight overnight?"

Sonny chuckled. "MooMoo! One fits all!"

"That's not funny!" Alexis dragged her suitcase off the bed and rolled it to the edge of the top of the stairs.

Sonny raced up the stairs. "What are you doing? Be careful." He poked at the suitcase. "We're gonna be gone one night. Jesus."

"Knock knock!" Anna appeared at the bottom of the stairs. "Missing plane? Did you bother to call Sam and Jason?"

Sonny dropped the suitcase and ran back down the stairs. "Yea. They have it. We're gonna take the limo and make it a road trip. Sorry to waste your time."

Alexis walked down the stairs. "Actually, I needed to speak to Anna."

Sonny looked to Alexis and then to Anna. "I'll pack up the car. Milo!" He snapped his fingers.

Milo ran up the stairs and grabbed the suitcase. "At your service Boss. Packing the car now." He hauled out the door with the suitcase. Sonny followed out behind him.

"I asked Sonny to call you."

Anna sighed. "I didn't know that Sam was a pilot."

"Sam is a pilot. She's a pirate. She's a scuba diver. Anything that moves, she's down for it. Not sure where she got all that energy from."

"I was at the park…"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt your day."

"I was watching Elizabeth play with Aidan. I know that Lorenzo liked to take Mikkos to the park for his playgroup. I admit I had this hunch that he was my grandson. So I'd go to the park and watch him play with Aidan. I could tell that they love each other."

"That's what Lorenzo said. I just wanted to apologize for myself and Natasha."

"Natasha?"

"I'm not aware of what Natasha does but I'm not hearing good things."

"Natasha doesn't trust which I completely understand. As a young girl she went through a lot in her life and was surrounded by people who only wanted to hurt her."

"Kevin said that I'm getting worse. That my personalities are becoming so distinguished that I'm splitting into multiple people. It's like the more I remember, the more I'm inclined to be who I was born to be."

"And that would be Natasha?" Anna asked.

"I'm afraid so."

* * *

Stefan went into Kevin's office and shut the door.

Kevin didn't waste time. "She's not getting better, Stefan."

Stefan took a seat on the red couch. "Can you explain to me what's going on?"

"Your mother..." Kevin leaned over and handed Stefan Alexis' file. "Your mother is a very capable scientist when she wants to be. This isn't just straight-forward mental illness. Alexis is programmed…"

"Excuse me?" Stefan looked perplexed. "Look I'm aware of my mother's abilities to trick her subjects but you expect me to believe that Alexis is a victim of programming. It doesn't exist. It's a myth." He stood up and tossed the file back onto Kevin's desk.

"Will you hear me out?"

"I must get back to Laura."

"Please. This is your sister's well-being. You care about her don't you?"

Stefan sat back down. "I've never been able to help her. It seems I was the weaker brother."

"You were the brother with a heart and compassion."

"Tell my father. He doesn't care about heart or compassion. He cares about winning."

"At the expense of his children. And Alexis is the biggest victim…"

"No." Stefan shook his head. "Alexis isn't a victim. She took what Helena created and turned it into something that belonged to her. Helena told her she would be Alexis Davidovitch and she became Alexis Davis, the upstanding attorney."

"That's the woman that I met. But that's not all of who she is. And she's starting to realize that being Alexis Davis means forgetting practically everything about being a Cassadine. She lived amongst you but she wasn't really a part of you. She was just the lowly Cassadine cousin on the outside looking in. But you made her feel welcome."

"Part of me knew. I, too, was in denial. I didn't want to believe that my father would allow such a lie. How can she be fixed?"

Kevin leaned back in his chair. "Traditional psychiatry is making her condition worse. I thought helping her remember and integrating her memories would help. But it's helping feed the monster. It's giving Natasha more power."

"Natasha." Stefan ran his finger across his chin.

"Helena raised Natasha the same way as Franco. She groomed her for murder. She created Natasha in her own image. She wants Natasha to be just like her—ruthless."

* * *

Alexis walked Anna to the door. "Sonny and I will return tomorrow. When we do, I'm wondering if you'll help me with a little project."

Anna was aghast. "Sure. How can I help?"

"Sam told me how sweet you were to her on her wedding day."

Anna swatted the air. "No. I was just protecting her. That's all."

"She told me what you said to her."

_Sam needed to lie down. She prayed for a moment of quiet. Anna quietly slipped into the bridal room and shut the door. Sam sat up._

_"I'm sorry." Anna said. "I'm not here."_

_"Did you see Carol?"_

_"I can make her disappear." Anna pulled her gun from her holster._

_Sam grabbed her stomach. "She's just a tad bit stressful to me."_

_Anna found a blanket and placed it on Sam. "You seem a bit out of sorts."_

_"My mother's not coming. I'm trying to get over it. Jason wanted to elope. I think he was right. I think weddings are for the guests, not the bride and groom."_

_Anna smoothed Sam's hair. "It's ok. I'm a mom, albeit, not a very good one. We disappoint every now and then. But she'll make up for it."_

Anna recalled the conversation. "Yes. And you didn't disappoint."

"I wasn't going to go to Sam's wedding mostly because I didn't want to leave my newborn baby behind. But it was important for Lorenzo to be there. Anyway, would you like to be my maid of honor?"

Anna touched her chest. "Really?"

"Sonny will want lots of protection and it would be perfect. You can do double duty."

"Of course. I accept. I will be your maid of honor."

"If Kristina were alive, it would be her. But I think you're a good choice."

* * *

Jason and Sam were two mischievous souls finding solace in one another in a strange place not their own. Jason talked Sam out of her "every room" plan and the two instead found a tent and set it up in the nursery. They bundled up together under the covers and took in the quiet. Sam was drawn to the room. She could feel Mikkos' spirit.

Jason loved every minute of having back his fearless Sam. He nuzzled his nose against her soft skin thanking God she didn't cringed from his touch and that he even survived to experience the feeling.

"When I had my accident with A.J., I lost most if not all of my senses for the people I knew before."

Sam stared at top of the tent thinking hard about Mikkos. "What do you mean?"

"Like the people that I was attracted to before, the touch just didn't feel the same. Like I used to like Brenda. We used to make out on the beach." Jason grinned.

Sam touched Jason's face. She loved his smile. It was something she rarely saw from him though he managed to bring it out for her. "And afterwards you hated her?"

"I tolerated her. I'm just amazed that I haven't lost it for you. I love you more now than I ever could. I haven't felt that since Michael was a baby."

"I'm enjoying therapy with Dr. Collins."

Jason smiled. "He has a way with people. I can tell a difference in you in a good way."

Sam wrapped her arms around Jason. "I'd be lying if I said I don't have nightmares about Franco. I'll never forget that feeling I felt when I woke up wounded in Lorenzo's house."

_Lorenzo went into Sam's room and slammed the door in Spinelli's face. Spinelli stomped away in frustration and back into his dark room._

_Lorenzo leaned over Sam and pulled the covers over her. She fidgeted in her slumber still bearing what she could of the pain._

_"It still hurts." She mumbled. "Like everywhere…"_

_"One pain always leads to another." Lorenzo pulled up a chair to her bed and took a seat._

_"Where's Spinelli?" She asked._

_"You should rest."_

_Sam looked to her side and noticed Spinelli's computer smashed to pieces on the floor. Her heart fell into her stomach. "Spinelli's computer?"_

_"Sam, you've put us all in a very compromising position. I never wanted to be found."_

_Sam stared at Lorenzo. She wondered to herself how her birth could have possibly been her fault. She couldn't read him at all. Was he there because he cared or because he wanted to ensure she didn't leave to sell him out? It hurt her head to even think about it. All she knew was something didn't feel right. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the last couple of hours. She remembered a familiar smell of cologne and the warm breath near her face. In and out of her delirium, she couldn't remember much of a thing that could amount to her feeling of dread. She was just relieved to be alive._

_But Lorenzo was right, she thought. She had gone to a place of no return._

* * *

In the limo, Sonny looked over at Alexis playing with her phone. He grabbed at her phone but she held tight. "Can we go phone free?"

"Sonny, we have children. That's impossible. Remember the elevator?"

Sonny flashed his dimples.

Alexis gave in and shut off her phone after snatching it from his hold. "What if news of Mikkos comes in? I need to know immediately."

Sonny looked out the window.

"You don't think he's going to be found do you?"

"I didn't say that. I'm staying faithful. But having this discussion won't bring him back."

Alexis nodded. "I get it. I won't talk about it."

"No. Don't get offended. I just want you to have a good time. I know that's impossible to ask…" He continued to look out the window. "I worry that it'll be just like Franco."

"In what way?"

"Anna and Robert lost him when he was a newborn baby and he shows up a grown ass terror. I worry about that for Mikkos. But I don't share those thoughts with you. It's not productive." He looked at her. "I have my fears too. I've been spending a lot of time with Spencer. Something's not right with him."

"Helena is what's not right with him."

"I don't understand. I don't understand why Helena would take an innocent child and tear their world apart. What does she get out of that?"

"The loyalty and love that she never got from King Mikkosavich. But honestly only Natasha truly knows."

"She's not gonna show up is she?" Sonny smiled.

Alexis took Sonny's hand. "I don't have much control over Natasha but I will do my best to not allow her to ruin our time together."

* * *

Zander pulled himself together. He didn't know who to trust at that point. Lorenzo stood up and walked away to give Zander his space.

Zander stood up. "I guess I'll let you inside. But my little boy has trouble adjusting to people he doesn't know. So don't get offended."

Lorenzo went back towards Zander. "You lead the way. I'm usually pretty good with kids."

Zander was hesitant but he opened the door to Mikkos sitting on the floor surrounded by his toy blocks. Lorenzo walked in behind Zander. Lorenzo couldn't believe his eyes but he knew he needed to remain calm.

Mikkos continued to play undisturbed by Zander and Lorenzo's entrance. After placing a block on the stack, his big blue eyes looked up at Lorenzo. He clapped his hands together in pure elation. "Daddy!"

Zander got down on the ground. "It's just me and a friend."

Lorenzo was paralyzed unsure of how to react. Before he knew it, Mikkos got up and ran to him bear-hugging his leg. "Hi there. What is your son's name again?" Lorenzo was breathless.

Zander was in disbelief by Mikkos' friendly reaction. "Alexander. People call me Zander. It's short for Alexander. You're not joking. You are good with kids."

Lorenzo reached down and gathered Mikkos in his arms. He fiercely hugged the wiggly little boy. "Soo good to meet you Alexander." Lorenzo ran his hands through Mikkos' curls having missed everything about the child especially just playing in his hair.

Mikkos sat up and signed "more" for Lorenzo.

"You want another hug?" Lorenzo asked.

Mikkos nodded.

"He knows sign language. It's pretty cool. I wonder who taught him that."

Lorenzo chuckled. "Yea. Whoever taught him did a great job. Seems like you got a good kid here. Thank you for allowing me to meet him and you."

"It's like I said. I don't know who to trust and who not to trust. But you seem to know a lot about Helena. I wish I brought those pictures with me. And you can see the ones with you and my mother."

Lorenzo forced a smile as Mikkos bounced happily in his arms.

"Let's go Daddy! Let's go!" Mikkos exclaimed.

Zander blushed. "He's a little confused."

Lorenzo laughed nervously. "Kids say the darndest things."

_Wandering down the walkway away from the main house an older, pudgy woman sized up Lorenzo as if she knew him. He averted his eyes to the ground not sure what her intense stares meant. For all he knew, she was possibly sent by Anna to scoop him up and extradite him to Port Charles. But she stopped her walk to her quarters forcing him to make eye contact._

_"May I help you?" He asked._

_"You. The handsome man with the beard and blue eyes she talks about. Only when she's drunk." Korina spoke with determination in her voice._

_Lorenzo turned behind him to see if she was speaking to someone else. "Who is she?"_

_"Natasha!" She shouted. "I tell her give young Mikkos food. He gives you love. No food. No love."_

_Lorenzo squirmed in his seat. "This conversation is going places I don't want it to. I don't know nothing about breast-feeding no babies." He smiled._

_She touched his face. "And your smile. You are the one she should marry!"_

_"Marriage?" Lorenzo's curiosity was piqued. "Do tell."_

_She pointed at him. "You're the father. So you should marry Natasha."_

_Lorenzo bulked. "No no no. I'm not the father of Mikkos. You got it all wrong. But I agree the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Are you and Natasha good friends?"_

_Korina put her hands on her hips. "Korina. I'm her confidant. She tells me everything. I knew Natasha as a teeny little Alexis Davidovitch." She sat down and ran her fingers through Lorenzo's hair. "You're from Argentina?"_

_"República Bolivariana de Venezuela." Lorenzo rolled the words off his tongue as he was flattered by Korina's flirting. "Tell me more about the things Natasha says to you under the duress of drunkenness. You do know that alcohol is the universal truth serum?"_

_Korina touched her cheek. "There is a Sonny Corinthos?"_

_Lorenzo sighed. "She talks about him too?"_

_"And Johnny Za…" Korina struggled with his name._

_"charra. Johnny Zacharra." He rolled his eyes. "He's a boy-child."_

_"And there's a Ned Ashton that she says is a Lord?"_

_"Have you ever heard the phrase that 'rulers make bad lovers'? Plus, I'm South American. We've got the romance and rhythm down pat. Who else? Bring it. I'll swat them all down."_

_She thought some more. "Ric Lansing?"_

_"You just passed him. Brother of Sonny Corinthos and my attorney. I can't speak for his bedroom skills, but he's quite charming. Charming enough to screw mine and Natasha's daughter while he was married to Natasha. So he's also a bit of a dog. Keep 'em coming Korina. Nobody holds a candle to me and don't let her tell you otherwise." He grinned._


	16. Chapter 16

_**Work has been killing me. Finally got some time to write. I am working on another Shawn and Alexis chapter for "Beautiful Stranger". And Chapter 17 will be solely dedicated to Sonny/Alexis and Jason/Sam. **_

**Chapter 16**

_"But the Divine One would tell him to try to sleep and he would respond: Do or do not...There is no try. Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." Spinelli folded his paper. "I believe that Alec was here this short time to teach us all something and I hope we learn from what he taught us. May the force be with you Jedi Youngling..always."_

Brenda couldn't sleep. She had gone for a couple days without that sadness in her throat when she'd wake up in the morning to one of Alec's favorite Clone Wars videos but the sadness reappeared. She rolled over in her bed and felt along the covers to emptiness. "Where did you go?" Brenda turned onto her back and realized what she'd done. "I told him no. Why did I tell him no?"

* * *

Nikolas got down on his knees in front of Lulu sitting in her wheelchair. "This is only temporary. You know it."

Lulu rolled backwards. "Easy for you to say."

"Come on Lulu. I've been here. Maybe I wasn't paralyzed but I couldn't speak. I was ready to give up and I refused."

Lulu rested her hands on her knees. "It just feels awkward."

Nikolas took her hand in his. "I know. But would you rather be dead or fighting to live?"

"Let me think about it."

Nikolas looked over at Stefan talking to Elizabeth at the nurses' station. "I need to speak to my uncle." He got up and kissed Lulu's face before heading over to Stefan.

Stefan moved away from the desk. "You and I haven't had the chance to talk about the little note you left in my office." He leaned in to Nikolas. "Is this something we need to discuss?"

Nikolas winced. "I don't feel any differently. I'm only here for Lulu and Brenda."

"And your grandfather?" Stefan raised his brow. "Who knows? I need to know."

"I mentioned it to Sam but she doesn't seem to care. Dr. Jackson is the man. Glad I kept him around."

"Don't give Dr. Jackson that much credit. I'm certain he had to answer to someone."

"Well if you don't trust him, that's fine. I do."

"It has nothing to do with trust but it has everything to do with liability. Speaking of, Sonny is a big one."

Nikolas groaned. "Where is this coming from? Sonny and I called a truce when Alec died."

"Nikolas, you may no longer be the prince, but you still have every obligation as a blood relative to protect the Cassadine name. Sonny is a problem. Alexis is set on this wedding and I don't think this is in her best interest."

"How about you stay out of Alexis' love life and worry about your own. She's carrying Sonny's child."

"Or not." Stefan rested on his heels. "I have access to information that states otherwise." He walked from Nikolas without another word.

Nikolas looked at Elizabeth. "What is he saying?"

Elizabeth sighed. "I can't talk about it." She grabbed her files and left the nurses' station.

* * *

David tried his best to not be nervous but sitting in the dim light of the tunnels didn't help his mood. Dr. Jackson stepped out into the hall. "Dr. Hayward, King Mikkosavich Cassadine wishes to see you."

David stood up and straightened his suit coat. "Are they paying you or putting a gun to your head?"

"I don't know what this is about. Mikkos is a good guy." Dr. Jackson patted David's shoulder before leaving him alone to face Mikkos on his own.

David went into Mikkos' office and found the king reading with barely acknowledgement. "Welcome…back."

Mikkos put down his paper. "I'm glad you came. I need to know all that Cesar Faison has asked of you."

"Not much. A lot of heavy breathing. He's a man of little words. You two in cahoots."

Mikkos stood up and stretched out his hand to David. "You're the reason I'm alive. I wish to say thank you."

David shook Mikkos' hand and encountered a tight grip from the king. "My pleasure."

"I know that Project Orpheus is your baby."

"My intention was good but it seems it's being used for evil."

"Explain." Mikkos took a seat and beckoned for David to sit.

David reluctantly sat down. "I'm a cardiologist yet my daughter died of heart failure. Let that simmer for a moment."

"My daughter…one of my daughters is dead."

"I probably could have revived her if no vital organs were damaged. You were lucky that your body was preserved. Helena was clearly aware of the science even before I was."

"The Cassadines love to play God."

"I can see that. So if you have Helena, why do you need me?"

"Two heads are better than one or, along with Dr. Jackson, three. I want you before Faison takes you…"

"I'm not for sale. I'm done with Project Orpheus. I promised someone that I care about that I would burn the research and move on."

"Agent Anna Devane?" Mikkos raised his brow.

David eyed him. "Of course."

* * *

Robert found himself attached to Holly afraid she'd do something stupid in alignment with Luke's plans. He followed her to the Haunted Star where he found her playing a game of poker with Ethan. He was relieved and even pleased to see his son and the woman that he loved together.

"I'm hoping there's nothing sinister to this game of cards." Robert bowed down and kissed Holly's head.

Holly plotted out her next move as Ethan stared her down. "No worries Robert. I'm behaving."

Ethan tossed his cards onto the table. "So how about it?"

"How about what?" Robert uttered with alarm.

"Mum and I were just discussing taking a walk through the Wyndemere tunnels. I'm sure we'll find some kind of trouble to get ourselves into."

"That sounds like a marvelous idea." Holly looked up at Robert with a grin.

"Don't invite trouble. You know what happened the last time."

Holly stood up and kissed Robert to shut him up. "What's life without a little adventure?"

"What are you looking for?"

Ethan put his arm around Holly. "Come on Robert. We're just marauding. It's what we do."

"You have questions to answer." Robert wagged his finger at Ethan. "We made a deal. I'd get her back and you and I would talk about the night that Franco went missing."

"Look Ethan, I'm a_ her_ now." Holly chuckled. "Don't put our son in a compromising position…"

"Especially not to save another that's already gone."

"How do you know he's gone Ethan? Franco hasn't been confirmed dead." Robert asked.

Ethan threw up his hands. "Why do you care? I'm afraid for my life here."

Holly was shocked. "Afraid? Why are you afraid? What's going on?"

Ethan sighed. "I can't talk about what happened that night. Why do you care so much?"

"For Anna."

Holly raised her eyes. "Isn't she taken?"

"That's not what this is about Holly. If it was Ethan and someone killed him, wouldn't you want justice?"

"Ethan isn't a psychopath."

"But he's no angel."

"Good to know my father thinks so highly of me." Ethan stormed off.

"I didn't mean to offend." Robert mumbled. "But the reality is that Anna wants justice for our son."

"What about the justice for the families that lost someone at the hands of Franco? What about the exhibits that made money off of those victims? We have to have a sense of perspective here. I don't want you beating up our son for answers about a monster. I sympathize with Anna and her loss, but…"

"It's impossible for you to sympathize."

"I've lost a child once before. Anna isn't the only one."

"She barely knew him."

"There wasn't anything to know. He was a con artist."

"It takes one to know one." Robert smiled.

"But you love me for it. And I try to make sure nobody dies."

* * *

Brenda went to Wyndemere. She found herself drawn to it when in the past she avoided it shrouded in mystery, death, and darkness.

"Good day Ms. Barrett. May I make you some tea while you wait for Master Nikolas?" Ms. Landsbury caught Brenda off guard as Brenda stood at the door wondering how she even got there. "Is everything alright?"

Brenda stepped inside. "I just have days when I wake up wondering what I'm supposed to be doing. When Alec was here, I knew the answer to that. I was his mother and I was supposed to take care of him. I was supposed to wake him up in the morning and get him dressed. And then we'd argue." She laughed. "Not in a bad way. He wanted to stay inside and watch his DVDs but I wanted to go outside and explore. Now I wish he hadn't gone outside."

Ms. Landsbury nodded. "He's with you in spirit. You're here aren't you? And I'm sure Master Nikolas will be quite pleased to see you."

"Does he love me or am I just the shiny object holding a place for someone else."

"Ms. Barrett I would be lying if I didn't say that I've never seen Nikolas happier than when he was with Emily."

"I'd never question Nikolas' love for Emily."

"Then don't question his love for you." Ms. Landsbury grabbed Brenda's hand. "Aside from the children, you bring so much light into this place."

"Any word on Mikkosavich?"

Ms. Landsbury smile faded. "No word. The trip to Switzerland was unsuccessful."

"I heard. Sonny was really disappointed. At least I know where my son is even though he's not with me."

* * *

Carly gathered her fingers in a fist to knock on the door of the Quartermaine mansion. She couldn't bring herself to do it. She took a deep breath and before making another try, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Carly turned to A.J. "I was just here to see you. Monica said you went away."

"I didn't want to cause a stir at Jax' s memorial service so I took a trip to my place in the city. I kind of miss the noise outside my window. You don't seem surprised to see me."

"I was at first. Jason told me everything. He gave me the impression that he's hesitant to trust you but he said that Michael really likes you."

A.J. smirked. "Yea. Michael's a good kid. He's not a kid anymore but he's objective and seems to care about me despite my faults and I admit to having a couple."

"I hope you mean every word that you say to Michael. He's been through a lot."

"He told me. I don't intend to disappoint him. I just need you to stay out of the way this time."

Carly nodded. "I've learned to let go. After Sonny and I sent Morgan off to military school, I realized that no amount of control can fix my kids."

Lorenzo found Lila Rae with Alice setting up for her tea party. "Did my invitation get lost in the mail again?"

Lila Rae ran to Lorenzo and wrapped her arms around his waist. "It's girls only today."

"Lila Rae met some other girls at the park and she invited them over for tea." Alice did one last check of the decorated table and left them alone in the rose garden.

Lorenzo squatted down to Lila Rae's level. "I'm happy you met some friends. You're settling in here quite nicely."

"I miss the boys. Emma and I miss the boys."

"Alec and Spencer?"

Lila Rae nodded

"You should set up a spot for Alec and Spencer will be back. You can't keep a good man down."

"That's what Tracy said."

"Still taking love advice from Tracy and Natasha?"

Skye went outside to the garden. "Look what the cat dragged in."

Lorenzo stood up and went to Skye. "I need your help."

"Now you need me. I'm tired of men needing me only when they want me around. Did you hear that Lila Rae?"

Lorenzo grabbed Skye by the arm and pulled her away from Lila Rae. "I need advice on a situation. I have to play this perfectly."

"Is this about Natasha?"

"Kind of."

Skye rolled her eyes. "I can't do this. I don't care about her and I don't want to play matchmaker between you and her. She's in love with Sonny."

"I found Mikkosavich." Lorenzo whispered

"And?" Skye crossed her arms.

"It's a delicate situation. Zander Smith has him. They're hidden. I won't reveal where they are but I'm not sure this is a good time…"

"You're going to keep a missing child from his mother? I already paid for that."

"I wish you would listen. This isn't about Alexis. Helena is involved. Mikkosavich is in danger and I have to protect him."

"Didn't Natasha already do that with Franco?"

"Allegedly…"

"There's nothing _allegedly_ about the fact that Franco just fell off of the face of the earth after threats made by Alexis."

"Skye...I just need your advice. I warned Ric of this but he blew me off. Stavros is walking around like a free man and who knows what happened to Franco. But what I do know is that Mikkosavich has been through enough trauma."

"He's not your son. He's Sonny's property now."

Lorenzo gave Skye a death stare. "He's nobody's property. He's a child. Just like Lila Rae isn't property. She's not just some thing you can fling over in a corner until you're ready to play with it again."

"What do you want me to do?"

"You're a mother. Give me your perspective."

Skye looked over at Lila Rae keeping herself occupied in the garden. "Considering that Zander took this child, and I know the relationship that Alexis had with Zander, I do not understand the connection. Why would Zander, who is presumed dead, steal Alexis' little boy?"

"Helena led him to believe that Mikkosavich is his son."

"Ok. It's a simple fix. Cameron is his son. Why don't you nab him from the park next time you see him?"

"He loves that little boy like his own. I can't just go in there and take him away. They have a bond."

"Then you have no choice but to let Alexis do it herself."

Lorenzo shoved his hand in his pockets. "I was afraid you would say that. Wait." He perked up.

"What?"

"Stavros told Nikolas something that's starting to make sense. Anna overheard a conversation. She asked me what it meant and now I know. This situation just got more complicated. I can't let Alexis see Zander." Lorenzo grabbed at his forehead.

"Care to share?" Skye asked.

_Stavros slumped down in the corner of his cell still refusing to speak. Nikolas showed up and gripped tight to the bars wanting to break through and pound his fists into his father's ever-present smug demeanor._

_"I'm going to give you one chance to tell me the truth. Did you rape Alexis and did you kill Ric Lansing?"_

_Stavros lifted his eyes to Nikolas but remained in his corner. "Nikolas, what happened between Alexis and me was merely a misunderstanding…"_

_"A misunderstanding?"_

_"I didn't know she was my sister."_

_"That's such a load of bull! You've always known!" Nikolas yanked at the bars._

_"Que Sera Sera." Stavros stood up. "While I kicked him around a little, I did not kill Ric Lansing. My face was not the last that he saw before he died. Like your grandmother, I've learned to not be the one to pull the trigger so to speak. I let my minions do it."_

_"Who is your fucking minion?"_

_Anna peered around the corner listening to every word. She checked her watch for the time._

_"Hmmm…" Stavros smiled. "Spencer is turning out quite nicely though I'm sure he misses his friend."_

_Nikolas started to cry. "You did that? You encouraged him to hurt Alec? What do you want from me?"_

_"I want you back Nikolas. I want the son that was taken from me. But to answer your question, I promised Natasha that it was one son for another. And therein lies the one who murdered Ric Lansing."_

_Nikolas let go of the bars. "Mikkosavich didn't kill Ric. You're an asshole."_

_"Think Son. Think. You're smarter than you give yourself credit. Look to Emily. Maybe she'll give you the answer."_

* * *

"Ethan!" Holly yelled with her voice echoing through the tunnels. She held her flashlight with a trembling hand as she walked through the darkness. "He didn't mean it Son. We love you for who you are…my handsome little boy."

"If you love me so much why didn't you keep me?"

Holly pointed the flashlight in the direction of the voice but no one was there. "Ethan? I hear your accent but that doesn't sound like you. Are you playing a trick on your mother?"

"I wouldn't play a trick on you mother." The voice spoke again. "Continue on as you are or you can leave me behind again. It's easy to just walk away again and forget I ever existed."

Holly touched her chest as her heart pounded. "Ethan?" Her voice shook. She continued on and noticed a door cracked. She shined her light on the opening of the door. "It sounds as if you're in here."

"My spirit will never die. It lives within my son." The voice rang through the tunnels.

Holly flung the door open and jumped back. She shined her light on what looked like a body covered up. "Oh God. What is this?" She slowly pulled back the cover revealing the pale white face of a man with a shaved head. "Oh my God. It's Franco." She continued to peel back the cover to his neck severed by Natasha's dagger. Holly wasn't afraid to touch his face. Her hands moved down to his wound. "Now that I'm seeing you, I just couldn't imagine Anna having to see you this way." Holly searched about herself. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness due to a flickering light of a video. She came across a screen with Franco talking to the camera and recording another message to the world.

"Holly?"

Holly practically jumped out of her skin until she realized it was David standing behind her. "What the hell are you doing here? Did you know he's here?"

"I just found out. And I'm told that if I say anything, I'll end up just like him in the morning."

"Is that really Franco?"

David went over to the body and studied it for a moment. "I think so. Someone shaved his head but it's him." He touched Franco's neck. "Orpheus can't fix this. Too much damage."

"What?" Holly was perplexed. "What do you mean? I read about Project Orpheus. Rising people from the dead? You've got to be kidding me."

"It's a proven science that's dangerous in the wrong hands. Sadly it's already there."

"Who would have you killed?"

"Mikkosavich Cassadine."

Holly touched her chest. "He's alive?"

"And well. You did not hear that from me."


	17. Chapter 17

_**I've been away from this story so long that I had to go back and reread it from the beginning. Mikkosavich will soon be found by his biological mother, but which mother will find him? Alexis or Natasha? And Natasha's hit list is not finished. Who is her next victim?**_

**Chapter 17**

The limo drove to a place unfamiliar to Alexis. But she could tell it was something of importance to Sonny as he squeezed tight to her hand while he looked outside the car window to the empty pink painted home. A "for sale" sign stuck out from a small patch of grass contained in the front.

"Is this where you grew up?" Alexis dared to speak.

Sonny looked at her. "He painted the house pink. He thought she was joking. But she wanted it that color. So he did it. And I thought because of that, he loved her. It was all a façade; just like their marriage."

Alexis swallowed hard realizing she was in for a journey that stretched beyond girls and boys in leotards leaping across a stage. She exhaled deeply knowing that being in Bensonhurst meant a lot to Sonny. "What happened to New Hampshire? I must have fallen asleep. I didn't notice the detour. Why would you torture yourself?"

"Kevin said that you and I can't have a strong marriage if we're not honest with each other. I've told you the stories. I wanted you to see where I came from."

Alexis leaned on Sonny's lap to get a better view. "I see it. Now can we go?"

"How about taking me seriously?"

Alexis pointed to the house. "I don't want to go in there. Why do you think I'm not taking you seriously because I don't want to see you have to remember the place where you were the most tortured? I would hope you wouldn't want that for me either."

"We're going in." Sonny opened the door and stepped out of the limo. He slipped on his sunglasses and looked up at the sun beaming down him.

A group of kids ran down the street bumping into Sonny. He grabbed one of the boys and playfully wrestled with him. "Be careful Son."

"Sure Mr. Corinthos!" The little boy squealed.

Sonny let the boy run off with his group. He turned back to Alexis still sitting in the limo. "You coming?"

Alexis scoffed and stepped out of the car. She took Sonny's hand. "Make this quick."

"After this, we go to the opera." Sonny smiled.

Alexis frowned. "You said the ballet." She slipped her arm in his.

"The Nutcracker is over. And you hate Romeo and Juliet. So we're going to the opera." Sonny's smile faded.

Alexis released Sonny and watched him walk up the stairs to the house. "You spoke to Kevin didn't you? He's trying to convince you to get me to go with integration. That's what this is about. How about you be honest with me?"

Sonny pulled the keys from his pocket. He unlocked the door. He turned back to Alexis clearly annoyed on the sidewalk. "Ladies first."

Alexis stormed up the stairs and walked inside the dark home. The furniture was covered in sheets. "No one has lived here?"

"I bought it. Now it's up for sale."

"Why did you decide to sale?"

"Time to let go of the past. I'm ready to look to the future." Sonny slipped his hands in his pockets. "You need to do the same. Let go of Natasha."

"That's not fair. I can't let go of Natasha. You see…the difference is that Deke is gone but Helena still lives. You do realize my little boy is missing?"

"I know. But we don't know that Helena is involved with that."

"Sonny, hers was the last face I saw before I left my little boy in Greece. I want to go back to Port Charles."

"Why didn't you tell me your father is alive?"

Alexis' eyes grew wide. She knew she was caught. "How do you know about that?"

"Kristina saw him."

"Kristina saw him? When?"

"Doesn't matter. I almost went to see him but I got the call that Natasha showed up in Switzerland and my defenses just completely fell apart. I hate the Cassadines. Every last one of them. And you, Alexis, hate them too. That's why we worked. You would come to me and ask me to do something to piss off Helena or fuck with Stavros. Or you'd want me to tell Stefan to go fuck himself. And I'd do it with your permission. But this Natasha…" He shook his head. "I don't like her very much. She thinks I'm trash. Your father will feel the same. I don't want to lose you to the Cassadines, Alexis."

* * *

Lucky rolled over and found himself suspended across the couch of the jet. He looked up at Jason hovering over him. His head pounded. "What's up Boss?"

"You're tanked Lucky." Jason handed him a steaming cup of coffee and sat down on the table.

Lucky steadied himself and balanced the coffee cup between his fingers. "I'm sorry. Please tell me I didn't do anything stupid?"

Jason sighed. "Sam and I went out looking for you. You were at a bar arm wrestling with the bartender. It was all in fun. But you have an addiction. Are you in a place where you can control it?"

"I thought I could." Lucky rubbed his aching head and sipped his coffee. "So sorry."

"I'm worried about you."

"I'm worried about me to. We going back?"

"No." Jason grinned. "Sam and I want to take a detour. We're going to Casablanca. You in?"

Lucky perked up. "Why Casablanca?"

Jason pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "We tore that house apart. And we found out that Julia Barrett is living there."

Lucky studied the paper. "Wait? That house belonged to Julia Barrett?"

Jason nodded.

"What the fuck? What does this mean?"

Jason shrugged. "Sam and I want to check it out. Mikkosavich was definitely in that house."

"You going to say anything to Brenda?"

"Not a word. Brenda doesn't need to be involved in this."

* * *

Alexis went up to Sonny's room. Her attention fell on his pristine baseball card collection sitting on his desk. She ran her hand across his handmade Yankees bedspread. Sonny joined her in the room. She turned to the closet and pointed in its direction. Sonny slowly nodded.

"Did you play? Baseball?"

"Everyday…until I started working for Scully. That took up all my time. I'd play with some of the other boys that ran numbers for him. It wasn't the same as playing in the schoolyard."

"Did you and Taggert ever get along?"

Sonny stared at Alexis. He shook his head. "He teased me. Thought he was smarter. Deke did to. Used to tell me I needed to be more like that Marcus Taggert kid."

"Where did he live…Taggert?"

"Around the block."

"So it was really a small community huh? You, and the Cerullos, and the Falconeri's, and Taggert."

"Pretty much. And some of the guys I do business with now. We grew up together. All of us. Some of us went for a life of crime. Some of us went to work for the law. Some of us went out in body bags. But all of us were in love with Lois Cerullo." Sonny laughed breaking the ice.

Alexis smiled. "She's a pistol."

"Oh she is. The best friend I ever had. Forrest had Jenny. I had Lois. I'd go to her house to pick her up for school in the morning. I'd be bruised and banged up. She'd put make up on my face so no one would know what Deke did to me."

"Oh no Sonny."

"The funny thing is that if it was hot and I would be out playing baseball and that shit would sweat." Sonny laughed. "God it was so embarrassing. The other boys would start asking, _what the hell happened to your face_? And Lois would jump in and say that I beat up some piece of shit for her on the way in to school that morning."

Alexis' smile faded. "She stood up for you."

"Problem is that taking up for me meant hiding the truth. It didn't make the beatings stop."

Sonny sat down on his bed. "I'd go to mass every Sunday and pray that my real dad would come. And he did."

Alexis sat down next to him. "Mike came here?"

"He did."

"I bet that didn't go over well."

"Deke pretended to be happy for me. But I was going to get it when Mike left especially if I told Mike the truth. Mike said he was thinking of getting his own place nearby. And he did…for about a year."

"Did that help at all?"

"It wasn't what I dreamed it would be. He promised I could go live with him which made the beatings worse. I went to Deke and threatened to move. I couldn't. I couldn't leave my mother behind. She told me to go. I couldn't do it Alexis. I had to stay. It didn't matter any way. My relationship with Mike wasn't what I wanted it to be. I thought we'd go to baseball games or do father and son stuff together. But he was too busy. He barely called. He was distance. Then he finally moved again."

"Was this around the time Courtney was conceived?"

"I guess." Sonny nodded. "I hated him. I thought he didn't want me. I thought he didn't care about me. I came to realize he was just lost in his gambling world. He had to move because he owed some guy in the neighbor thousands of dollars. Had I known…had he told me he was trouble, I would have helped him."

"That's a lot of pressure for a young man."

"Better than having to kill your stepfather." Sonny looked at Alexis. "I get it. I get why you hold on to Natasha. I remember when I did it and how I did it. It felt great. I wanted Deke to look me in the eye and know who was snuffing him out. I wanted him to have the same fear that I had staring at him in that dark closet taking yet another beating just for trying to protect my mother."

* * *

"That suit brings out the blue in your eyes." Sam watched Jason stroll onto the balcony dressed in a tuxedo. His pocket square was a pale blue. "God you are a gorgeous specimen of a man."

Jason tugged at his coat sleeves. "You need to get dressed. We don't want to miss Julia."

Sam pulled Jason close to her. "We don't have to go to this party do we?"

"If Brenda were here, she'd be my accomplice."

Sam released Jason and went back inside their suite. Jason looked out from the balcony at the water and noticed the mosque in the distance.

"Why do you think Julia decided to move to Casablanca?" Sam slipped on her dress.

"The port."

"What is she importing or exporting?" Sam walked out to the balcony.

Jason was blown away by her beauty as her sapphire gown flowed in the evening air. "I guess we'll find out tonight." He reached his hand out to Sam.

"Can we make it an early night?"

"I'll do my best." Jason kissed Sam's face. "Lucky is waiting for us downstairs."

"Shouldn't he rest?"

"He's fine. He'll be fine."

"Have you checked on Alana and Spencer?"

Jason looked at his watch. "Yep. She was taking a nap. She and Maxie have finally formed a bond."

"Let's do it."

"Sam." Jason watched her go back inside.

Sam stopped. "Yes?"

"Be careful. We all need to be careful. In the end, something dangerous is going down."

* * *

Sonny and Alexis left the house. Alexis waited for Sonny to lock the door. She noticed he took his time as he juggled the knob a couple times to make sure it was locked.

"As soon as you sell, it's over."

Sonny released the knob. "I thought of tearing this house down."

Alexis walked down the stairs pulling her coat close to her to fight off the breeze. "That's an idea. I felt the same about the cave."

Sonny met her at the bottom of the stairs. "The cave?"

"Ric was killed in that cave. Ethan and Johnny found his wallet and articles of his clothing in that cave. We still don't know who killed Ric."

"Stavros?"

Alexis shook her head. "I don't believe it."

"Really?" Sonny raised his brow. "You don't think Stavros killed Ric?"

"What was his reasoning?"

Sonny grunted. "You think Stavros kills for a reason?"

"Stavros doesn't get his hands dirty without a purpose. I know my brother."

"Who else would know to kill Ric the same place you were raped?"

Alexis lifted her eyes to Sonny. "Don't forget. I'm an attorney."

"Sounds like you want your brother to be innocent of killing mine."

"I loved Ric. Even when I felt used by him, I loved him."

"You just love me more." Sonny winked and flashed a dimpled smile.

* * *

Sam and Jason made it to the bustling casino floor. They both searched the room with their eyes until Sam spotted Lucky sitting on the top step of one of the cascading staircases with a drink in his hand. Sam nudged Jason and pointed in Lucky's direction.

"We need to focus." Jason sighed. He scanned the room and spotted someone that threw him for a loop. He pulled Sam into a corner. "Look."

Sam slowly turned her head and through a sea of party patrons she spotted Gallos in a corner chatting it up with Julia Barrett. "Gallos? What's he doing here?"

"Business maybe? Is he playing for the other team?"

"We're assuming Julia is the enemy." Sam patted Jason's chest. "I just thought of something. Wouldn't Julia recognize you and Lucky?"

"She would."

"Maybe I should go over alone. She doesn't know me." Sam moved in the direction of the Gallos and Julia until Jason grabbed her arm.

"Be careful Sam."

Sam parted the waters of people in route to her target. Men did a double take while women rolled their eyes. Sam was unassuming until Gallos took notice of her moving in his direction. He stood tall.

"Gallos?" Sam stretched out her hand. "You never miss a party."

"You here for a game of poker?" Gallos sipped his drink. "I'm so rude. Let me introduce, Ms. Julia Barrett."

Julia shook Sam's hand. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I love gambling. I'm Samantha McCall."

Gallos took a puff of his cigar and noticed Jason in the corner. He looked upwards and found Lucky sitting on the top of the stairs chatting with a woman. "Is this business or pleasure?"

"Depends on what we find." Sam smirked. "Do you play?" She asked Julia.

"On occasion." Julia sipped her drink. "Gallos lets me win." She stared longingly at Gallos.

"Wait." Sam tapped her temple. "Are you the sister of Brenda Barrett?"

"I am."

Gallos flashed Sam a dirty look. "Why do you ask?"

"I know you're heavily involved in ASEC. Just thought maybe there was a connection."

"A little." Julia blurted. "I'm heading to the tables." She left Gallos and Sam alone.

"What are you doing here Samantha?" Gallos growled.

"My missing son was staying in a home owned by Julia Barrett. What's that about?"

Gallos shrugged. "Samantha, go home. Take your husband with you."

"Not until I find my son. Please help me Gallos."

"I don't know where he is. And I doubt Julia does either. For your own safety, go home." Gallos walked away from Sam.

Lucky stumbled over to Sam. "I was watching. " He took a sip of his drink.

Sam looked to Lucky. Tears formed in her eyes. "I just want to find my son."

Jason walked over to Julia hovering over the roulette table. He tapped her on the shoulder. "Ms. Barrett."

Julia spun around to Jason and found herself caught off guard. "Jason Morgan? What brings you to Casablanca?"

Gallos leaned on the table visibly annoyed.

"Can you and I speak privately?" Jason asked.

"Of course." Julia nudged Jason in the direction of a dwindling crowd until they found a spot. "I heard about the plane crash."

"Why didn't you come to see Brenda? She needed you. When Alec died, she needed you."

Julia's face turned red. "Brenda and I were never particularly close. But it's no excuse. How is she?"

"She said you and her fought on the phone. What did you fight about?"

"Business. Family business."

"Family business?"

"I wanted her to move to Switzerland."

"You own a home in Switzerland?"

Lucky poked Sam in the arm. "Jason's talking to Julia." He took Sam's by the hand and led her up the stairs to get a better view.

Julia looked away. "I do. And it's a big home. And it's peaceful. I wanted us to be a family. Her, me, and our brother…"

"Whoa." Jason held up his hand. "Your brother? You and Brenda have a brother?"

"We do."

"She never mentioned a brother."

Julia cut her eyes at Jason. "She doesn't know about him. I've been protecting him."

Jason eyed Julia with suspicion. "I don't understand."

"I've said too much. You still in the organization?"

"No." Jason crossed his arms. "How old is this brother?"

"Alexander is the youngest. He's Brenda's half-brother. I've grown to adore him as my own."

"I'm just gonna get to the point. A kidnapped baby was kept at a home in Switzerland registered to you."

Julia was stunned. "I haven't been in Switzerland since Christmas."

"Who else would have stayed at that home?"

"The staff. Jason, you don't really believe I'd kidnap a child."

"What about this brother of yours? Can you tell me anything about him? Why were you protecting him? Was he in danger? Or did he do something illegal? I need answers Julia. My son is missing and he was in your home. Help me find my son."

Julia slowly shook her head. "I can't. I don't have these answers. My brother would never kidnap a child. Never."

* * *

As night fell on the city, Alexis started to get antsy on how the evening would end. Her black evening gown just fit but she knew in another couple weeks she'd be holding her breath to squeeze herself inside her wardrobe. She admired herself in the floor mirror and finished her makeup until she saw Sonny standing behind her dressed to the nines.

"No uniform?" Sonny asked. He went over to the dresser and played with Alexis' sapphire and diamond necklace. "I'm so glad you got this back." He picked it up and handled it with care admiring the sparkle in the light.

Alexis pinned up her hair and did another makeup. "What opera?"

"The Queen of Spades by none other than Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It's Russian."

"I guess that will do since The Nutcracker is no more." Alexis continued to admire herself in the mirror. "What is it about?"

"Life is but a game." Sonny slipped the necklace onto Alexis' neck.

Alexis was struck by the sparkle of the sapphire and diamonds across her neck. Her eyes tried to follow in the reflection in the mirror.

Sonny's hands quivered as he latched the necklace together. "You ok?"

Alexis closed her eyes to fight the urges of Natasha. "Unlucky in love, lucky at cards."

"What's that?" Sonny buried his nose in her hair.

"Your father…the gambler. It seems he was lucky at cards but not at love."

"Yea. Sure." Sonny smiled at her beauty reflected in the mirror. "The Queen of Spades has two suitors who knew her secret cards. But she was warned of a third suitor who would try to steal her secret."

"I pity the fool who would dare be the Queen's third suitor." Alexis smiled finally comfortable opening her eyes as Natasha remained tucked away in her psyche.

Sonny grabbed Alexis' throw and put it around her arms. "Shall we go to the opera?"

* * *

Sam remained on the stairs drowning her sorrows in what was left of Lucky's drink. The liquid drug overcame Lucky. He stumbled back to his room. Jason left Julia. She refused to say more. His eyes searched the crowd until they met Sam's. He could see the red circles around her eyes which infuriated him that he couldn't fix it. He was at a loss. Jason decided to make one last ditch effort for answers. He went over to Gallos finishing up a game of poker. He tapped Gallos on the shoulder. Gallos tried his best to ignore.

Jason took a seat at the table and got Gallos attention by shoving Gallos' chips to the ground. "What game do you think you're playing with me? I'm not a fucking Cassadine. Don't bullshit me."

Gallos stared at Jason as the other players got up from the table sensing a fight about to brew. "Do I need to have you escorted out of Casablanca Morgan? We're more civilized in these parts."

"Do it for Alexis. Where is my son?"

Gallos lit his cigar and took a puff while blowing smoke rings in the air. "I don't kidnap children. And neither does Julia. Back off Morgan. The criminals outside of Port Charles would eat you for lunch. Leave while you can alive. It is a game Young Man. I've been playing it for years. I've beat all odds."

Jason noticed Sam get up from the stairs and leave. He gave up and hurried after her. Sam ran through the dark halls of the mansion until she spotted Julia tucked away in a corner on her cellphone. Sam slipped inside a crevice and remained quiet.

Jason spotted Sam but he turned back and went down the stairs.

"I know Dad." Julia spoke into her phone. "Please tell me Zander is safe. I'll be back in Switzerland after Gallos and I discuss the routes for the shipment. I'm glad he and his son are safe. I love you too." She hung up her call and stuffed her phone into her handbag before heading down the stairs past Sam hiding away in the crevice.

Julia walked down the stairs and went to Jason waiting at the bottom. "Goodnight. Have a safe trip back to Port Charles. Give Brenda my love. Maybe she'll change her mind about Switzerland."

"Maybe." Jason watched Julia walk away to Gallos. The two left together hand in hand. Jason looked up at Sam. He reached out his hand to her. "Let's go home." Sam practically fell into his arms. "Did you hear anything?"

"Zander? Do you know him?"

Jason pressed his head against Sam's. "You're amazing. I do know a Zander. He kidnapped my sister, Emily. But he's dead."

Sam rested her head on Jason's shoulder. "I don't know what it means but Julia mentioned the name Zander."

"Let's go home." Jason helped Sam walk with him towards the elevators. "Am I going to need to put you and Lucky to bed?"

"Together?" Sam's speak was slurred.

"No." Jason laughed and hugged Sam tightly in his arms.


	18. Chapter 18

_**This chapter might need a disclaimer. If you've followed this story all 100+ chapters, you know it's random as hell. LOL! That is all…**_

**Chapter 18**

Alexis was Cinderella and her diamond necklace was her glass slipper. She didn't expect to enjoy the opera. She was concerned the memories of hearing the sound of music would take her back to her mother singing her to sleep. She survived with Sonny by her side. He seemed to enjoy the experience and even asked if it was possible that she'd allow him to hear some of Kristin Bergman's concerts. Alexis figured she'd humor him knowing she'd left them all in Greece tucked away in the family vault safe and barely reachable by anyone but her.

Sonny and Alexis stepped out into the night. The streets of New York City were wet with melting snow. Sonny opted that they'd walk back to their hotel. They took the long route with him pointing out his favorite landmarks of the city. They finally stopped as Alexis' heels proved to be less than comfortable for the long tour.

"I should have gone with flats." Alexis bent over and fussed with her heel.

"Do I need to carry you?" Sonny joked.

Alexis stood upright and noticed that they were in front of Tiffany's. The diamonds sparkled through the glass. She touched her neck seeing her prized possession reflected in the window. The flashing spurts of light pounded through her eyes. She stumbled back until she felt Sonny's arms embrace her.

"What's wrong?"

Alexis buried her face in her hands. "Headache. Migraine actually."

Sonny pulled his phone from his pocket. "I'm calling the limo." He moved away to talk on his phone.

Alexis removed her hands and moved closer to the window plentiful of sparkling diamonds. Her head pounded with pain.

Sonny approached her. "Ok. Let's hit the diner. That's where the limo is meeting us. I'm kind of hungry. You?"

Natasha swiftly turned to Sonny. "What?"

Sonny grabbed her arm. "Come on. We're going to the diner." He could fell the strength in her arm. He quickly released her and backed away.

Natasha leaned on the wall. "I don't know why I'm here with you."

"It's ok. We just left the opera. We're just gonna grab some food. Just friends. Getting to know each other."

"Remind me of who you are again?" Natasha eyed him with suspicion. "We met at the church?"

Sonny moved in closer. "Yes. The church. You didn't recognize me. And that's ok. It's just a meal. We'll get to know each other." He reached his hand out to her.

"I'll walk alone. You can follow." Natasha continued down the street.

Sonny kicked at the ground and followed close to her.

* * *

Lorenzo knocked on the door of the cabin. "It's Alcazar. I'm alone."

Zander poked his head outside the door before deciding it was ok to allow Lorenzo in. "What's up?"

Lorenzo walked inside and noticed no signs of Mikkos. "Where's your son?"

"Oh, he's in the bedroom sleeping. He keeps asking about you. You guys really hit it off. I was hoping you'd stop by." Zander went to the kitchen. "You drink coffee?" He emerged with two mugs. "I did some light grocery shopping. Only so much I can do with just the two of us."

"You left him alone? Not a good idea." Lorenzo pulled a card from his wallet. "Next time call me. I'll babysit."

They both took a seat.

"How long you plan on living like this? Hiding?" Lorenzo asked.

Zander shrugged. "I don't know. I'm here to do a job. Supposedly I can leave soon after."

"What's your job?"

"To kill the prince." Zander stared in his mug.

"You're a hit man?"

"In training…" Zander looked ahead.

"Tough life."

"Pays the bills."

"Have you killed anyone?"

Zander nodded.

"Care to say who? I won't say a word."

Zander looked at Lorenzo. "Where have you been all of my life?"

"I explained that already." Lorenzo got up and finished his coffee before slamming the mug down on the table. "Where is your mother?"

"Dead."

"And you know this for sure?"

Zander nodded.

"Ok. I need to come clean with you. I have no clue who your mother is. I admit I was a bit of a player."

Zander hopped up from his seat. "So you pretended to know?"

"It doesn't matter. You're my son. That's all that matters now. Let me help you."

"Veronica Barrett."

"God." Lorenzo grabbed at his forehead. "Now it all makes sense. You know for sure that Veronica is dead?"

"Last I heard."

"Did you have much contact with her?"

"Not much."

"I need full disclosure Alexander. Who did you kill?"

Zander sat back down on the couch and slumped down. He looked up at Lorenzo unsure of what to say. "The only one that matters is a guy named Ric Lansing. That was personal."

Lorenzo grabbed at his chest and coughed. The sound of Mikkos' cries rose from the bedroom.

Zander got up and went towards the bedroom.

Lorenzo sat back down and pulled out his phone searching through his address book for her number. He pressed call. "Hey."

Natasha slid into the booth of the diner and watched Sonny at the counter placing the order. "Hi there." She spoke into her phone.

"Where are you?" Lorenzo kept his voice low.

"Much too far away from you." Natasha grinned.

Lorenzo's head filled with worry. "Are you with Sonny?"

"I'm humoring him."

"Find me when you return to Port Charles." Lorenzo hung up the call.

Mikkos ran into the living room and leaped into Lorenzo's lap. "Daddy! Lamby-Pie."

Lorenzo held Mikkos in his arms. "You have a Lamby-Pie."

"Yea." Mikkos blurted out. "Where he go?"

"I don't know where he go. But I have a strong feeling you're gonna find him again."

Zander watched Lorenzo bond with Mikkos. "You have a way with kids."

"Maybe because my lifestyle never really afforded the ability to have any. My hands aren't clean Alexander but I wasn't aware that I had anybody to care about but me."

"Trying to talk me out of my next hit?"

"I am."

"Not gonna. Either I kill the Cassadine prince or I die from failure. Every bit of training has prepared me for this."

Lorenzo watched Mikkos settling down in his lap. "Are you sure your target is correct? Have you done all of your research?"

"I follow the orders of Helena Cassadine."

"And you shouldn't."

"Why should I trust you?"

"What if I told you that your target is in this room? Would you not believe me?"

"I don't understand."

Lorenzo looked down at Mikkos playing with the lapel of Lorenzo's jacket. "There's so much you don't know. And I'd like to tell you but I don't want to lose your trust. So it's best that we wait until someone I think you'll listen to more than me..."

"Oh no." Zander yanked his gun from the counter.

Lorenzo hopped up from the chair with Mikkos cradled in his arms. "What are you doing? Put the gun away."

"You told me that nobody else would know! Who did you talk to?" Zander lifted the gun and pointed it at Lorenzo. "Put my kid down on the ground and leave. I heard you on the phone. Who were you talking to?"

Lorenzo held Mikkos close to him. He didn't want to let the little boy go as Mikkos was content in Lorenzo's arms. "Alexander, you have to trust. I need you to put the gun down. Why would your own father betray you?"

Zander held the gun pointed at Lorenzo. "For some reason, I think you're playing me for a fool. Helena is too. But at least she's paying me."

"Why would you trust a woman that would ask you to kill her own flesh and blood? Think about it. She's leading you into a trap." Lorenzo's hands shook and he tried his best to shield Mikkos' eyes from the gun. "I'll put him down in his bed and I'll go. I just want to say goodbye."

* * *

David struggled to get up after he beaten up by Mikkos' guards and tossed into the woods not far from Anna's cottage. He rolled around on the grass feeling the pain in his face practically frozen from sleeping in the woods. "Anna." He could barely yell as his throat was sore from the dryness of the air. He could hear footsteps running through the grass.

"Dr. Hayward!" One of the guards grabbed David up by his arms and helped him towards the cottage. "What happened to you?"

"I don't remember." David touched his face bruised from the beat down he received from his visit to Wyndemere.

* * *

Robert had barely slept for days. He locked himself in his office and went over the police reports for Lulu's shooting. On his desk was the gun found in Helena's drawer. He picked it up and studied it. "Problem is Helena has an alibi." He tossed the gun aside.

"Mr. Scorpio?"

Robert got up from his desk and opened the door to Kristina waiting. "Come on in Kristina. How can I help you?"

Kristina's eyes fell on the gun. "Can I talk to you about Ethan?"

Robert sat down on his desk and beckoned for Kristina to take a seat. "What's going on?"

"He stopped by my place. He was pretty upset."

"I said some things I regret. Ethan and I are just trying to find out about each other."

"He feels like you care about Franco more than him."

"Not true. I want justice for whatever happened to Franco."

"Which could be bad for my mom?"

"Do you know anything Kristina?"

"I don't. I'm making the same assumptions you are."

Robert's eyes dropped to the ground. "I don't mean to freak you out. Between your mom and your missing brother, I know it's a lot on your plate. You love Ethan?"

Kristina's face lit up. "I'm afraid to use the term love."

"Understandable. Don't feel bad. He's making it hard for me too. I'm doing all I can to prove myself to him. I don't need him to be some hero. I know he wants to live up to my legacy but I don't expect that out of him. I just want my family to be happy."

"What's with the gun?" Kristina pointed at the gun sitting on Robert's desk.

"I found it in the tunnels of Wyndemere. Apparently it belongs to Helena Cassadine."

"You never know who you're gonna find at Wyndemere. I saw my grandfather."

Robert was stunned. "Wait a minute. You mean Mike?"

Kristina shook her head. "Nope. I mean the crazy one Uncle Luke supposedly killed. My mother's father…I saw him."

Robert hopped from his desk. "You mind taking me to where you saw him?"

"He was in one of the offices. He wasn't hiding or anything."

"What did he say?"

"I just talked about myself. He didn't say much. He had pictures of my mother when she was my age. That was cool. My mother doesn't talk much about being a young girl. It's like she blacked that whole part of her life out."

Robert fished through his file cabinet and pulled out Alexis' file. "I've been studying your mother carefully. Kristina, I hope you understand that my ultimate goal is to help her. I realize what Helena did to her."

"With a little bit of revenge." Kristina smiled. "I'm not an idiot. I just took a risk in telling you that I saw my grandfather. I did in hopes that you'll back off of my mom and aim for the real target. She doesn't deserve this."

Robert sighed. "I appreciate the information."

* * *

Sonny sat down across from Natasha. "I got you a salad. You didn't strike me as a corned beef kind of girl."

Natasha picked up her fork and poked around in the salad. "Uh…what is your name again?"

"Sonny Corinthos."

"Right."

"Natasha?"

Natasha smiled. "Correct."

"Good. I feel like we're getting somewhere." Sonny took a nervous bite out of his sandwich. He noticed Natasha put down her fork. "You should eat. You haven't eaten in hours."

"Thanks for your concern…but I have to go."

Sonny put down his sandwich. "Where are you going?"

"Port Charles. I don't know how I got here."

"I brought you here. Natasha." Sonny leaned into her. "Do you remember the ballet? Do you remember running into a lanky kid with two left feet? I spilled my Coke everywhere."

"No I don't remember that."

"Right. Maybe that wasn't Natasha." Sonny settled back in the booth. "You can go whenever you like. I'm grateful that we had this much time together."

Natasha slid out of the booth. She stretched out her hand to Sonny. "It was good to meet you Mr. Corinthos. Maybe I'll see you around. Oh…." She paused for a moment. "You're right. That wasn't Natasha." She left the diner and disappeared into the night.

Sonny buried his face in his hands just wanting to cry. He felt a tap on his shoulder.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Sonny looked up at Tommy staring down at him. "God. I got woman problems."

Tommy sat down in front of the barely touched salad. "What kind of salad is this?"

"Chicken Caesar."

Tommy scoffed as he sprinkled salt and pepper on the salad before taking a mouthful. "You coming to the next meeting? I don't know if you should."

Sonny raised his head. "Why would I miss a meeting?"

"I'm gonna speak in code. You know that plane crash that just went down?"

"Crimson jet?"

"Yea. I think it was an inside job."

"Inside our circle?"

"Yep. Heard a couple guys bragging about taking Morgan down. Word on the streets is he's working for the government. They wanted to teach him a lesson. You need to talk to your boy Corinthos."

"That's bullshit Tommy. Jason isn't working for anybody."

"Then why was he spotted in Casablanca?"

"What?"

"Jason Morgan was spotted in Casablanca."

"That can't be true."

"Look…talk to Skye. Tell her to tell her little brother to stop poking his nose in the business. He needs to chill the fuck out or next time he won't survive."

* * *

Lorenzo slowly went into the bedroom and placed Mikkos in the bed. He could feel Zander watching him closely. Lorenzo kneeled to the side of the bed as Mikkos tossed and turned refusing to settle down. "I'm gonna say goodbye."

Mikkos opened his eyes and stared at Lorenzo.

Lorenzo pressed his lips against Mikkos' face. "I love you more than anything. How did you come into my life?"

Zander watched Lorenzo and Mikkos in confusion.

Lorenzo looked back at Zander no longer caring to be careful with his words. "I remember the day you were born. It was the day that I thought I was going to die. But your mother found me. She searched for me. She found me in the cave."

_Lorenzo thought he was going to die. He crawled through the sand until the pain from his wound forced him to lie down to catch his bearings. He looked ahead to cave in the short distance. He missed the serenity of the beach and felt a sense of calm in the cool sand. He closed his eyes and held tight to his side. He talked himself into gathering his strength to make it to the cave at least until morning._

_Alexis turned on her flashlight and set off for the beach. She walked along the water hoping to find traces of blood; anything that would lead her to Lorenzo. Stefan stood on the balcony of the veranda and watched Alexis disappear into the night._

_Lorenzo pulled his ailing body into the cave and finally decided to stop his journey for cover. He rested his face in the sand and drifted off. Alexis continued her search. She focused her light in the sand. She dropped to the ground when she noticed trails of blood leading to the cave. She got up from the ground and focused her flashlight on the opening of the cave._

_Alexis found Lorenzo unconscious in the cave. She put her light down and rolled him onto his back._

_"Lorenzo. You need to stay awake."_

_He awakened at the sound of her voice. "Don't let Sonny find me."_

_"I need you to help me help you."_

_Lorenzo struggled to sit up. He pulled himself against the wall of the cave and tried to keep his eyes open while Alexis looked at his gunshot wound._

_"He got you pretty good. The bullet is lodged. I'm not a surgeon Dear."_

_Lorenzo laughed through his delirium. "I miss California. Everything was so simple then. Maybe this is payback for shooting Sam."_

_"You do deserve payback for that. You could've killed her."_

_"Are you going to let me die?" He asked._

_"If I let you die, I have to kill Sonny as well. I can't play baby-daddy favorites."_

_"I love you." Lorenzo was out of it but he tried his best to remain alert._

_"I can't carry you. I just had a child. I will go get the guards." Alexis tried to leave but Lorenzo pulled her back down to the ground._

_"I'll be fine. Don't go. Stefan will definitely finish me off. I need to get back to my yacht."_

_"You're asking a lot of me right now."_

_"I will forgive Stefan of his debts if you help me." Lorenzo begged._

Zander was in awe as he listened to Lorenzo recount the story to little Mikkos. He didn't know what to believe or what to think. It all went over his head in a bundle of denial.

Lorenzo pulled the covers tight around Mikkos who was still awake but drifting away. "I'm a man of many lives. I will see you again. And the next time I do, I'll try to have Lamby-Pie in my arms."

"Lamby…Pie." Mikkos recited as he rubbed his eyes.

Lorenzo placed another kissed on Mikkos' head and stood up from the bed. He walked out from the bedroom with Zander following him. Before he opened the door, he turned back to Zander. "Don't leave. You're right to be suspicious of me. I'm not your father. My twin brother, Luis, was your father. But he's dead. I wish he could be here right now."

"Why did you lie?" Zander's eyes filled with tears. "What were you saying to my son in there? You lied to him and told him you'd bring back his favorite stuffed animal? What are you doing?"

"Just trying to fix this mess that we're all in."

"Stop. I'm just here to do a job…not make friends."

"You're still my family. My brother kidnapped your sister. I'm guessing he did it out of some payback to Veronica. She was a piece of work so I heard. Your sister is who I called. Do you know Brenda Barrett?"

Zander nodded. "Yea. I know her."

"She'd want to know that you were here."

"It's too dangerous. I thought she lived in Europe. I gotta go. I can't put her in danger."

"I'm sure she'd want you and your son in her life. Her son was killed."

Zander sniffled. "I know. I'm so sorry about her loss. I never thought I'd see my son again."

"I have no doubt that you being a part of her life would mean everything to her."

"No!" Zander yelled. "It's too dangerous. Tell her you lied. Leave. I won't be here if you come back."

* * *

"Agent Devane!" The guard dropped David onto the couch.

Anna hurried down the stairs to David. "What the hell happened?"

"I found him in the woods."

David tried to open his eyes but the light hurt his vision. "Anna?"

Anna caressed David's face. "Where did you go?"

"Wyndemere." David mumbled.

"What happened at Wyndemere?" Anna looked to the guard. "Did you not see anything?"

"I was just doing my rounds and saw a body."

"Go back out and see what you can find!" Anna ordered.

"Yes Agent Devane." The guard obeyed and rushed back out into the cold.

* * *

Lorenzo waited impatiently in his art studio. The unfinished painting of Natasha caught his eye. He could tell that one of his students, maybe Michael, stopped by to add to it. "I guess I'll finish it someday." He decided a drink of Scotch would take away the edge of waiting. He sat on the stairs with a drink in one hand and his phone in the other. He hoped she would call. He hoped she would call in time before Zander would disappear.

There was a tap on his door. "Who is it?"

"Skye."

"Come in."

Skye walked in. "Just passing through. What did you decide?"

"Can't lie to her. It probably won't matter. Zander knows I was lying to him."

"Well you should know that I got a phone call from an angry Sonny. I'm supposed to meet him at the house. Natasha kicked him to the curb in the city. Congratulations."

The door slammed wide open and Natasha appeared. "Talking about me Skye?"

Lorenzo groaned.

Skye turned to Natasha. "I'm not going to fight with you." She started to leave until Natasha clotheslined her back inside. "What is your problem?"

Natasha yanked at Skye's coat. "I don't like being talked about. Sonny and I had a good discussion. Run along now."

Skye looked at Lorenzo. "She's fucking crazy. You realize that right?"

"Skye just go." Lorenzo stepped down and grabbed Natasha's arm.

"I might press charges!" Skye stormed out.

Natasha filled the room with devious laughter. "Did she call me crazy? I'm not crazy. I just don't like to be bullied."

"I understand." Lorenzo held Natasha tighter. "I'm glad you're here."

Natasha smiled though she grew increasingly uncomfortable with Lorenzo. "I'm glad to be here."

Lorenzo found his coat and slipped it on. "Will you come with me? Hopefully what I want to show you is still there." He took Natasha's hand but she pulled it away.

"No. I'm not going anywhere with you."

_Alexis held back the tears. She thought Mikkosavich would be there to protect her._

_"Alexis." A young dapper Stefan went over to her. "I'm glad to see you." He wrapped his arms her knowing that she'd need the comfort._

_"Where is Lorenzo?"_

_Stefan's face fell. "You should just forget about him. He was sent to prison."_

_"Prison?" Alexis couldn't believe her ears. "For what?"_

_"He was caught doing something illegal of course. But Luis is here."_

_Alexis sighed. She had no real interest in Luis. He would stare at her as if she was his prey of some type. Lorenzo was quiet but he at least made some sort of effort to communicate with her. "I'm going to the stables."_

_"But it's getting late." Stefan ran in front of her. "I just don't think it's a good idea."_

_"I don't want to see Helena." Alexis continued on to the stables watching Stefan just standing behind from the corner of her eye. When she stepped inside, she noticed someone valuable was missing—Diamond. Her eyes searched the stables until she found the colt that was no longer a colt. Alexis lost hope. The one that gave her comfort many years before was dead._

_"What the hell are you doing here?" Luis stumbled into the barn as if he had been drinking._

_Alexis turned to him. "What happened to your brother?"_

_Luis did that thing that Alexis hated where he'd just stare at her silently to size her up before he felt like speaking. "Stavros and I went to a party. Do you remember Gallos?" He got so close that Alexis took a couple steps back to reclaim space between them._

_"Yea. Sure. What about him?" Alexis pressed her fingers against his chest pushing him away._

_"You should come to London. Gallos plans to visit. Maybe Stavros will join us." He grabbed Alexis around her waist._

_She winced and tried to pull away but his tight grip on her was difficult to shake. "I just got here and I'm tired. I think I'll turn in now."_

_Luis held on even tighter. "You like bonfires? Stavros and I have some of the best vodka that you'll find in all of St. Petersburg. We'll go to the caves." He pulled her out from the stables._

"Natasha?" Lorenzo's speech was lucid as he realized the Scotch got to him and maybe he wasn't fully aware of his strength. "Did I do something wrong?"

Natasha backed up towards the door. "I'm just gonna go now."

Lorenzo rushed to her. "No. You have to come with me."

Natasha was freaked out unsure if she could trust going into the darkness with Lorenzo. "Where are we going?"

Lorenzo prided himself on being able to read people. He could see the terror in Natasha's eyes. It took him back to Oxford. He realized where he went wrong. He moved away from Natasha. "I get it. You're confusing me with Luis. I remember you telling me what happened. I love my brother. I can never take back what he and Stavros did to you but you have to believe that I would never do such a thing."

Natasha gripped the doorknob. "Oh yes. Oxford. I remember that. You were kind to me. I realized that I was a fool to want Luis to love me."

"No. You weren't a fool. You were just misled. I would never mislead you." Lorenzo smiled.

* * *

Patrick inspected David under Anna's watchful eyes. "Wow. They tore him up."

"Who?" Anna demanded.

"You think I know?" Patrick shrugged.

Anna watched David finally settling in his hospital bed. "He was at Wyndemere."

Robert walked in. "Guess what I heard? King Mikkosavich is alive."

Patrick and Anna both waited for Robert to divulge.

"Kristina stopped by my office. Said she spoke to her grandfather. Maybe he's hiding something that David saw? Project Orpheus anyone?"

Anna plopped down on David's bed. "Natasha saw her father. She wasn't dreaming. What now?"

"Well I'd like to speak to Dr. Jackson. What do you know about him Patrick?"

Patrick rubbed his forehead. "Well he kinda had a thing for Robin so I'm biased. He's a pretty good doctor. He was hired by Cassadine Industries and became Alexis' private physician."

"Kristina said that Ethan stopped by her place. " Robert checked his phone. "I haven't heard from Holly today. She and Ethan were talking about going to the tunnels."

David woke up. "Holly."

Robert approached David. "What about Holly?"

"She was there." David mumbled.

Robert's heart beat heavily in his chest. "Holly was at Wyndemere?"

David nodded and closed his eyes again.

"Anna, we gotta check this out. It's not like Holly to not call."

Anna hopped up and grabbed Robert's hand. "Let's go."

* * *

Natasha clung to Lorenzo as they went through the woods to the cabin. Lorenzo knocked on the door fearing the worse as all the lights were out and it looked to be abandoned.

"I'm trusting you." Natasha buried her face in Lorenzo's arm fearing the worse.

Lorenzo could feel Natasha's hand trembling in his. There wasn't much for him to say. He feared the worse as well.

All was quiet expect for the howling of the wind as Lorenzo and Natasha both shivered in the dark. "It's Alcazar!" Lorenzo took a chance and hoped for the best.

A light flicked on but dimmed. Lorenzo wanted to leap out of his skin. "Please tell me you're still there."

The door opened. Zander stepped out. He adjusted his sight in the dark noticing it wasn't just Alcazar. He prayed it wasn't Brenda. As his sight came to him, he was blown away by who he saw. "Alexis?"

Natasha felt safer lifting her head seeing the handsome young man in front of her. But she had no clue who he was. "Natasha."

Lorenzo put his arm around Natasha. "I lied about another thing. I didn't call Brenda. I called Mikkos' mother."

Natasha was stunned. "Mikkos? My little lamb?" She looked past Zander and into the house. "Is he here?"

"He is." Lorenzo nudged Natasha to go inside.

Zander was still confused. "Who is Mikkos?"

Natasha continued into the house.

Lorenzo grabbed Zander's shoulder. "That little boy is not your son. I'm so sorry. Helena lied to you."

Mikkos could hear the voice of mother. He crawled down from the bed and ran to her awaiting him with open arms. "Momma!" He shrieked.

Zander watched the reunion with his thoughts in disarray. "But I love him."

Lorenzo embraced Zander. "I know you do."

Natasha picked up Mikkos. "I told everyone that you were safe. I did as my mother asked. She told me to hide you in the stables where you'd be safe." She looked at Lorenzo. "See I'm not crazy."

Lorenzo agreed. "You're not crazy, Natasha."

* * *

Holly watched as Dr. Jackson pulled back the sheet. "Don't tell me. Dear God." She slapped her hand to her mouth.

Dr. Jackson stepped back. "Now we watch."

"Why did you do this?"

"The King ordered that I do all I could to avoid Alexis being charged for murder."

"Rising the dead?" Holly was mortified.

Dr. Jackson wasn't so sure. "His major artery was severed. He won't live long."

The sheet moved. Franco's fingers wiggled. He pushed the sheet away from his body.

Holly held tight to Dr. Jackson. "Oh my God."

Franco raised his hand to his neck and clasped his fingers around his wound.

"How you feeling Franco?" Dr. Jackson asked.

Franco turned his head to the side and struggled to sit up. He body was unsteady as he forced himself upright on the bed. He kept his hand on his neck as he kicked his legs to the side of the bed.

"Can he speak?" Holly watched him in horror.

"Nope." Dr. Jackson stood back and crossed his arms. "She did a number on him. He'll live maybe a day if that long."

"God Terrell. Anna and Robert can't see this. They'll be heartbroken."

Dr. Jackson smirked. "Oh the King wants to make sure Anna and Robert see this."

Franco attempted to stand but lost his balance and crashed to the floor. He grabbed his neck in pain wishing he could speak. He reached out to Holly.

Holly walked back away from Franco. "I just can't watch human suffering. Not of any capacity. Take him out of his misery. Please. You have a duty as a doctor."

"Nope. I take my orders from the King. He wants Anna and Robert to see Franco alive with their own eyes. And I'll see to it that they do." Dr. Jackson left Holly alone in the room with Franco.

Franco continued to reach out to Holly while savoring every gasp of his own breath.


	19. Chapter 19

**_For those of you also reading the Shawn/Alexis fic "Beautiful Stranger" I'm working on the next chapter._  
**

**Chapter 19**

Kristina just made it to the docks as Anna and Robert caught the launch to Wyndemere. As she watched across the lake at the haunting presence of Wyndemere she started to second guess her decision to throw her grandfather under the bus. She quickly turned around to head home but slammed into A.J. She wished she could avoid the lecture she knew she would get from him.

"You hiding from me?" A.J. smiled.

"Kind of. I don't need AA. I'm doing great."

"How many days?"

Kristina moved with discomfort. "How many days of what?"

"Sobriety? We should celebrate." A.J. clapped his hands anticipating an overblown response.

Kristina looked away. "One." She mumbled.

A.J. leaned his ear close to Kristina. "What was that?"

"One!" Kristina shouted. "Half a day. I had a big decision to make today. I was completely stressed and I don't need you riding my ass."

"Kristina, you have a heart condition. More than anything this is about your health not me trying to be a prude."

"I'm sorry about what happened at Wyndemere."

"The kiss? I wasn't sorry about it. There was a lot going on with your dad threatening to kill me. We haven't really had the chance to discuss it."

"I like that you care about me."

A.J. blushed. "It comes with its complications. I just hope you don't think I'm using you to get back at your dad."

"No. I just hate AA." Kristina laughed. "It's really just that simple."

"You know what's been the best therapy lately? I spend a lot of time with my niece Lila Rae."

"She seems adorable."

"She's a character. I remember being her. Sometimes being little in the Quartermaine house isn't such a good feeling. You tend to get lost in the minutia. She and I have been wading through it all together."

"If I'm lucky enough to get my little brother back, I will never let him go again nor will I joke about letting Stavros kidnap him."

A.J. put his arm around Kristina. "It's not your fault."

* * *

Skye found Sonny at the Greystone as drunk as his Scotch would allow. "Did you leave any for me?"

Sonny poured another glass with one hand while he held himself up against the counter with the other. He pressed his finger to his lips. "Shhh…keep it down. The kids."

Skye scoffed. "I'm not yelling. You are clearly drunk."

Sonny let out a belch. "Natasha." He slammed his glass on the counter. "That Bitch. Why does she hate me soo much?"

Skye went over to Sonny and grabbed his Scotch and poured it back into the bottle. "No more liquor. We need to talk business."

Sonny swiftly turned to Skye and pulled her in to him. "What about you and me?"

Skye was slightly thrown as the wheels of opportunity spun in her head. She watched him clumsily reach in to kiss her. His lips touched hers until the sound of a man clearing his throat broke Skye's attention.

Jason stood at the door trying his best to keep a straight face.

Skye didn't want the kiss to end even if it was misguided and more than likely to be forgotten when sobriety broke through.

Sonny opened his eyes not a bit shocked to see Jason. "Yea. I called you didn't I? You came at a bad time." He pulled away from Skye and headed towards the stairs. "Talk to your brother and I'll meet you upstairs later." He skipped up the stairs barely acknowledging Jason any more.

Skye touched her reddened face. No words of explanation could be found. "Welcome back."

Jason stayed in place. "What was that?"

"Business."

"Sonny and I never did business like that."

"You were called here because you're poking around where you've got no business being. I'm talking to you as your sister not as a businesswoman. I know you were in Casablanca."

"I was looking for a lead on my son. I don't need to explain myself to anyone….not even you."

Skye grabbed Jason's arm. "Stop searching for your Son. You're gonna get yourself killed. It's all a trap. I can't tell you what I know. But I know he's ok."

Jason's eyes filled with bewilderment. "Skye, come clean with me."

"Lorenzo knows where Mikkos is. But you can complicate things by getting involved."

"He's my son…not Lorenzo's."

"Don't screw this up."

Jason nodded barely reassured. He looked down at the ground before turning to leave. "Can I give you a piece of advice too?"

Skye nodded.

"Stay out of Sonny's bed."

* * *

Ethan hopped onto the bar with Sam with a line of shots between them. Ethan cracked his fingers. Sam rolled her neck and loosened her shoulders.

Ethan picked up a shot glass as did Sam. "Alright Samantha, get ready. Set. Go!"

Ethan and Sam raced to the finish line of shots. Sam propped herself on her knees stealing shots from Ethan's line.

"That's cheating!" Ethan shouted as he grabbed the bottle and poured the liquor down his throat. He finally slammed the empty glass onto the bar in champion's fashion. "I'm a warrior!"

"That's cheating." Sam hopped down from the bar.

"You can't drink an Aussie under the table." Ethan warned. "To what do I owe the honor of having a drinking partner on this restless night?"

"If I go home, I'll think about the fact that Mikkos is out there with God knows who."

Sam sat down at the poker table. "Plus I can't sleep at night. Franco constantly shows up in my dreams."

Ethan grabbed another bottle of whiskey and two glasses. He sat down across from Sam. "That Bloke is gone. No need to worry about him." He passed a full glass of whiskey over to Sam.

Lucky ran down the stairs. "Am I late for the party?" He pulled up a chair next to Sam and circled his finger around the empty space in front of him. "Where's mine?"

Ethan's jaw dropped. "You want a drink?"

"Why not?" Lucky pounded the table.

Ethan ran over to the bar and grabbed another glass. He filled one up and slid it over to Lucky.

Lucky lifted the glass. "Happy New Year."

Sam and Ethan tapped his glass with theirs.

"Is this a new and improved Lucky?" Ethan asked.

"Sam." Lucky pressed his body close to Sam. "I went to your house looking for you."

"You found me."

"Your house freaks me the hell out. And add in Maxie and Spinelli talking a foreign language and it's like I took an acid trip."

"You've tried acid? Me too Bro!" Ethan snapped his fingers. "I've been waiting for fun Lucky to show up."

"Dude." Lucky leaned back in his chair. "So I went to the station and Dante wants to fuck with Johnny."

"How?" Ethan tilted his head to listen.

"I don't know. Some bullshit about him covering up a murder. It's like I just want to find out who shot my sister. I don't give a shit about who killed Franco."

"So did he arrest Johnny?" Sam asked.

"Yea." Lucky sipped his drink. "Some unpaid parking tickets. What a jackass. Who forgets to pay their parking tickets?"

"Ughhh!" Ethan rested his head on the table.

"I'll call my Dad." Sam found her phone in her pocket.

* * *

Lorenzo watched as Natasha and Mikkos continued to catch up on their bedtime games including Mikkos' favorite "This Little Piggy."

Zander handed Natasha Mikkos' too little lamby pajamas that managed to make the long trek. "They barely fit. It's so funny." He sat down on the couch with Natasha and Mikkos. "By the morning there's a naked little boy in one corner and a pile of pajamas in other." He laughed.

Mikkos wiggled in Natasha's arms loving to be difficult at bedtime.

"I don't know why we bother." Natasha playfully fussed with Mikkos until she was able to yank the shirt over his head and try to figure out the challenge of the bottoms.

Lorenzo answered his phone. "Hey Sam. What's wrong?"

Natasha pretended to be occupied with Mikkos.

"Not again with Dante and Johnny." Lorenzo sighed. "Jesus. Why won't he leave this Franco shit alone? I'll come down later. I can't right now. I'm occupied. We just need to realize that Dante is playing games here. Johnny's gonna need to stew in a cell for a couple hours. I'm glad you're home safely. Don't leave again without telling me." He hung up the call.

"Dante Falconeri?" Natasha asked.

Lorenzo sighed. "Yea. He's giving Johnny shit. He arrested Johnny for the same mess. I should go down soon. My advice is that you stay here with Zander."

Zander nervously ran his hands up and down his pants. "You think that's a good idea."

"Yea. We have to keep in mind that Helena wants to get her hands on Mikkos. I'm guessing she'll have to get through Natasha first."

Zander got up. "I'll do my best to keep them safe."

Lorenzo hugged Zander. "I know this is all confusing. You've been a really good sport about Natasha."

Zander eyed Lorenzo. "I don't understand why she doesn't remember me?"

"What happened to you at the hands of Helena is the same thing that happened to her. It's hard to explain. I promise you, like I promised Lamby Pie to Mikkos…" Lorenzo smiled. "That Alexis will come back to you and so will your son."

* * *

Sonny yanked his shirt from his body and plopped down on his bed with a pounding headache. He was already starting to regret his move on Skye.

"Yo Sonny!"

"Who is it?"

Mike knocked on Sonny's open door. "Just wanted to see how the trip went?"

"It started out great." Sonny tossed his shirt onto the floor. "Then she turned into Natasha. And that's when all bets are off." He rocked slowly on the edge of the bed. "What am I gonna do Mike?"

"Have her committed?" Mike threw up hands. "Maybe that'll teach her a lesson. She can prevent this from happening."

Sonny rested his elbows on his knees and started to think. "What are you really doing here?"

Mike paced nervously.

"How much do you own Mike?" Sonny pulled his wallet from his pants pocket and started to pull out a wad of cash.

"No." Mike shoved the cash away. "Johnny's in trouble Sonny. You know I care about that kid."

"What now?!" Sonny jumped up. "What the hell happened?!"

"Dante had him arrested again. Hauled him out of Kelly's in handcuffs."

"Jesus!" Sonny threw his wallet on the bed. "I'm tired of Dante's shit. He knows this is risky for Alexis." I don't give a shit about Johnny. But Johnny knows shit that could get Alexis hauled off to prison for the rest of her life."

"He was calm. Said he'd call Jason and go from there."

"Jason needs to stay away from Johnny."

"Well not gonna happen. Johnny watches after Sam and the kids."

"Jason can't have any part of the business. He wants to the toe the line. Either he's in or out!" Sonny shouted.

Spencer raced into Sonny's room. "Uncle Sonny. I'm scared."

Sonny reached out and picked up Spencer. "I'm sorry for yelling."

"You know that man?" Spencer asked.

Sonny observed Spencer. "What man?"

Spencer played with the chain around Sonny's neck as the sparkle caught the little boy's eye. "The one that taught me the game."

"What game?"

"Mother May I."

"What was his name?"

"I think his name was Franco. We played in the tunnels."

Sonny held Spencer close. "Don't worry about him. He's gone."

"To heaven with my mother?"

Mike grunted. "Definitely not in heaven."

"Can I have pie Grandpa Mike?"

Sonny smiled and kissed Spencer. "Pie sounds like a wonderful idea."

* * *

Natasha was finally successful at getting Mikkos into his pajamas. She sat him down on the couch and watched him try his best to undress himself again. "We'll see if you dare Le Petit Prince."

Zander watched Natasha and Mikkos realizing that Lorenzo was right. His target was right before his eyes. He quickly broke from his thoughts as he noticed a light outside the window. He got up and looked out the window horrified at what he saw. He stepped back. "Uh….Ale…I mean Natasha. I think you and Mikkos should go in the bathroom. There are no windows in there. It's safe in there."

Natasha gathered Mikkos in her arms. "What's wrong?"

Zander could barely catch his breath. "Helena Cassadine is coming this way."

* * *

Lorenzo stormed into the PCPD and found Dante sitting at his desk. "Dante. What's this shit about now?"

Dante threw down his pen. "Unpaid parking tickets is a crime. There was a warrant out for Johnny's arrest. So I picked him up. He can't just park his sports car wherever he wants."

"You've got to be kidding me here."

"Just leave him alone. He'll get released tomorrow after the check clears."

Lorenzo pulled out his wallet. "How much?"

Dante was smug. "A couple thousand."

"I'll have to make a withdrawal. I want my client home and in his warm bed tonight."

Dante pointed towards the cells and went back to his paperwork.

Lorenzo continued down the hall to the cells. He found Johnny sitting on the bed reading. "Is that the Bible?"

Johnny continued to read. "Yea. I've been reading it a lot lately. It's the only thing that gives me peace." He slammed the Bible closed and went to the bars. "Thanks for coming. But I think I'll ride this one out. Besides you don't need to worry about your precious Natasha."

"Hey!" Lorenzo yelled. "You're too young to waste your life away in a jail cell every week. We've got to get this monkey off of all our backs."

"It ain't happening. The damage is done. Sonny's an idiot for trusting Dante. And I'm an idiot for trusting Alexis." Johnny sat back down on the bed and opened the Bible up again.

"Don't give up on her Johnny. If this baby is yours, I guarantee all parties will come to the table and work everything out to everyone's benefit."

"What if what's best for the baby is for me to stay away?"

"I don't want to believe that's true. Look at Sam. I didn't raise her. Look at what she's married to…he's no upstanding citizen. Did it matter that I wasn't a part of her life? Apparently not. My brother died never knowing his son. I'm heartbroken for both of them. I will do everything in my power to fight for you Johnny."

"You don't owe me." Johnny closed his Bible.

"Sam cares about you. I don't know why but she does. It's the least I could do for her."

* * *

Natasha beckoned for Zander. "Take Mikkos. You go hid with him in the bathroom."

Zander was reluctant but he took the squirming baby from Natasha's arms. "I can't….I promised Lorenzo."

"I can handle Helena." Natasha nudged them towards the bathroom. "Stay quiet. You too." She pointed a stern finger at Mikkos agitated to be apart from his mother so soon.

Helena knocked on the cabin door. "It's the Queen."

Natasha grabbed Zander's gun from the table and went to the door. She flung it open and made sure the gun was in view.

Helena forced her way inside. "Natasha…always walking into a trap."

Natasha moved away from the door. "What do you want?"

"Do you plan to shoot? How good of a shot are you? I hear you're a master at knives."

Zander pulled Mikkos into the bathtub with him and covered the boy's mouth as Mikkos started to sob. "Keep quiet Bud. We gotta stay quiet."

Helena could hear the cries in the distant. "I'm assuming we're not alone."

"Say what you need to say and get out."

"You do realize this is my property. And the person living here is my property as well…as are you."

"I'm not property. I'm a human being."

Helena shook her head. "No Natasha. There's nothing human about you. You're merely my pawn. Don't be fooled just because your picture hangs in the Great Room and your Daddy dotes on his only living daughter. When he's bored with you, he'll toss you away like he did all his whores."

Natasha fumed inside. She wanted badly to pull the trigger but paralysis flowed through body. Helena could read Natasha like a book. For once Natasha wanted so desperately for Alexis to show up to save her. "I'm not a whore."

"Oh no? For awhile we thought your precious Alexandra belonged to Stavros." Helena brushed against Natasha. "But come to find out you were the apple of both Luis and Lorenzo's eyes. You've had them both or should I say they've both had you." Helena chuckled.

"Luis was a mistake."

"But it happened."

"We learn from our mistakes."

Mikkos grew even more impatient.

Zander pressed his hand tightened across Mikkos's mouth. "I hate this too but you must stay quiet."

"And now this baby." Helena pointed to Natasha's stomach. "Who's the unlucky third suitor?"

Natasha lifted her gunned hand and pressed the barrel against Helena's chest. "Get out."

"I told you not to fuck with me Natasha. You will pay for what you did to Franco. All of my work bled to death on Sonny's warehouse floor. You'll never wash the blood from your hands. Johnny will sell you up the river. Soon, one by one, all of your minions will turn on you. Ethan is ready to turn you in any minute now. God save the real Queen..." Helena pointed to herself. "Me."

Natasha's hand shook. "Faison…"

"Faison…" Helena grabbed hold to the gun but Natasha hung on. "That man promises the moon to anyone that will listen but he will always be loyal to me. I pay him well."

"He told me I would be the Queen."

"You'll never be the Queen."

Natasha pulled the trigger but nothing happened. She was humiliated and wanted nothing more than to run and hide with Zander and Mikkos but Helena taught her to never show her weakness.

Helena grinned broadly. "Checkmate. Clearly the Gods are on my side of the board."

* * *

Lorenzo dug into his pocket and pulled out a hand full of bullets. "Oh shit. I hope Zander didn't need these."

Dante walked up to Lorenzo with a file. "You got that cash?"

Lorenzo grabbed the file. "He'd rather spend the night. I'll be back in the morning."

"I'll make sure his blankets are warm." Dante chuckled.

Lorenzo rolled his eyes before leaving the PCPD.

* * *

A.J. walked Kristina to her apartment door. He wasn't sure if he should just watch her go safely inside or hope for an offer to join her. "I'm guessing you're turning in for the night? Is Michael around?" He leaned on the door jamb.

"No. I've got the place to myself. Michael pretty much moved back home to be with Josselyn and Morgan."

"Right. I finally saw Carly. She was oddly pleasant. Guess she's got a lot on her mind with Jax gone."

Kristina was bashful. "You wanna come in don't you?"

"I kind of do." A.J. smiled.

"My dad would kill us both."

"He would." A.J. agreed as he turned to head for the elevator. "Maybe soon enough your father will be comfortable with me being around."

"Unlikely." Kristina laughed.

The elevator door opened. A.J. back into it unable to take his eyes off of her. "I'll pray for a miracle." The elevator doors closed.

Kristina closed her door. Morgan went down the stairs to her surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Michael's moving out and I'm moving in."

"Since when?"

"Even if Michael returns, you've got room for me."

Kristina took off her coat and tossed it onto the couch. "Did you overhear me and A.J.?"

"Totally." Morgan got comfortable on the couch. "He wants to get in your pants. I would have not said a word. I would be laughing my ass off because Dad deserves every bit of torture that he's got coming to him."

Kristina sat down next to Morgan. "Why do you hate him so much?"

"He's not exactly blowing up my phone."

"Morgan, he's kind of occupied with my mom. Even I have to understand that."

"Alright. I get it. Doesn't erase that I feel like I play second fiddle. I always have."

"How are you and Michael getting along?"

"Not." Morgan grabbed a magazine and pulled his legs to his chest to read. "He treats me with this indignation. That's why I'm here."

"He just needs time Morgan."

"How did you get involved with A.J. anyway?"

"He's my AA sponsor."

"Is it that serious?"

Kristina slowly nodded. "I can't shake it Morgan. I really do have a problem with alcohol. I think I'm just realizing it."

* * *

Lucky could barely walk as he propped up on Sam to help him get through his apartment door. "I think I'm gonna throw up." He released Sam and raced to his bedroom.

Sam could hear Lucky vomiting. She grabbed at her own uneasy stomach. "Lucky, you gonna be ok? I should go home." She waited until she couldn't hear a peep from Lucky's bedroom. "Lucky?" She hurried into the bedroom and found Lucky stripping himself of his clothes.

"I missed." Lucky howled with laughter. "This sucks. Why would I ever want to be drunk again?" He barely got his pants off before crashing onto his bed like a helpless child.

* * *

Jason went down the stairs of the Haunted Star and found Luke sitting in the dark with a cigar and a drink. "Hey. How is Lulu?"

Luke puffed his cigar. "The same. Wheelchair bound. She'll be going home soon. Thinking of moving in with Laura to help out."

"I'm so sorry Luke. It's unbelieveable."

"The Mrs. isn't here."

"She told me she was meeting Ethan here."

Luke blew a couple rings of smoke. "Let me ask you something. How comfortable are you with Sam and Lucky spending so much time together?"

"What does that mean?"

Luke shrugged. "They used to be lovers."

Jason swallowed hard. "Why you bringing this up?"

"Stefan sits there with her day and night. Night and day. If I say something I'm the bad guy. If I say nothing, I don't care about her. Nobody's been through more shit than me and Laura Webber Spencer. So why the hell do I get the short end of the stick and Count Vlad gets the pat on the back as the dedicated one?"

"Is this about you Laura or me and Sam?"

"I'd like to think Sam is your Laura."

Jason was suspicious. "I don't know if that's good or bad."

"Lucky's going through a rough patch. He loved that boy of yours. That kid will haunt him until he finds himself unconscious in the same ditch that Jake perished."

"Why are you so mean?" Jason could barely breathe.

"I'm just being real Morgan. You're like a son to me. Probably of all of the kids that have come and gone in my life, you're the most like me. Just trying to…help."

Jason was hesitant to leave. "Do you know where Sam went?"

Luke took a long drag of his cigar. "Home with Lucky. And that's the truth…not me being mean."

* * *

Lorenzo went back to the cabin finding the door wide open. "Zander!"

Zander and Mikkos remained in the tub with Mikkos finally drifting off to sleep. He grabbed the baby and got out of the tub. "We're in here Lorenzo!" He unlocked the door.

Lorenzo tried to catch his breath. "Where is Natasha?"

"Helena was here. Natasha asked that Mikkos and me hide in the bathroom. Was that ok?"

"Of course." Lorenzo held himself up against the wall. "Ok. I just need to find Natasha. You and Mikkos stay here." He reached into his pocket pulling out the bullets. "I took these out of your gun. I didn't want an accident to happen with Mikkos." He slipped them into the palm of Zander's free hand. "I'll be back."

Natasha fell deeper and deeper under Helena's spell. Her impulsive nature shattered all sense of reason. When she made it to the docks, for a moment, she grew a conscience. She stopped by the warehouse where she shed Franco's blood. It all reminded her of why she did all of the treacherous things that cooked up in her brain. She continued on down the trail and passed Kelly's. It was dark inside. She took one jerk of the knob hoping the doors would magically open but it was no such luck. She felt as if she lost all of her power. Before she moved on, she caught a glimpse of her diamond and sapphire necklace in the window. Though she had changed from her evening gown, she kept the diamonds on her neck. She was thankful that Helena didn't strip them from her. She moved along through the streets of Port Charles practically a nomad. But she had thoughts of bloodshed in her head and a hole from Helena's piercing insults in her heart.

Natasha made it to the PCPD just as Dante was leaving for the night. "Good evening."

Dante was so intent on going home, he barely noticed her. "Alexis? What are you doing here this late?"

Natasha knew she had to pretend. "I'm working on Luke Spencer's case. I was told by Robert Scorpio that I could have access to the evidence."

Dante opened the door for her to go inside. "It's cold out here." He disappeared into the evidence room.

Natasha maintained her cool. She pulled her leather gloves from her coat pocket and slipped them onto her freezing fingers.

Dante emerged with the gun in a plastic bag. "This is the only gun we could find. We're still running forensics on the other bullets."

Natasha studied the gun. "I know this gun. I know it well."

"Really?" Dante was intrigued.

"Uh huh…" Natasha continued to pretend to be interested in the weaponry in her hand. "Is Johnny Zacchara being held here?"

Dante was thrown off guard. "Yea. You want to see him?"

"Yea."

"Who does the gun belong to?"

"Helena Cassadine." Natasha continued to study the gun.

"Problem is that Helena has an alibi."

"I can get her to talk."

Dante's cell rang in his jacket pocket. "It's Laura. I'm gonna take this outside." He walked away.

Natasha checked the gun barrel before slipping it into coat. She continued down the hall to the cells. It was dark and surrounded by guards. She leaned on the bars of Johnny's cell. He was asleep on his bed. "Johnny Boy! Wake up!"

Johnny woke up startled. He got up from his bed. "What are you doing here?"

"I need you to cover for me." She whispered.

"No. I'm done with you."

"It'll benefit both of us. Cover for me." She showed Johnny the gun inside her coat.

Johnny clinched his jaw not wanting more to do with her. He slowly nodded before going back to his bed.

Dante stopped by the hospital to see Laura and Lulu. Visiting hours were close to over so he didn't stay long. He headed to his car and paused before opening the door. He had a sinking feeling that he was being followed. He thought maybe it was just his paranoia. As he got into his car and adjusted his mirror he noticed Alec's car seat still in his backseat. His heart sunk. He started the car and headed towards the cemetery.

Natasha decided to follow on foot. The night air almost thwarted her plans but the thick Russian Cassadine blood flowed through her veins. She caught Dante's car parked on the side of the road. She noticed his figure in the dark standing in front of a grave. She waited patiently and quietly as she did the night she slit Franco's throat. Helena taught her well. _Never let your victim suspect that he is the victim._ Natasha cocked the gun in Dante's direction knowing she was too far away and not a very good shot. She watched him leave the grave and go back towards his car.

Natasha continued up the hills towards the graves. Dante took his time to get to his car. Natasha stopped at Alec's grave. She got down on one knee and picked up the fresh rose in front of the headstone. She put down the rose and wiped faint snow from the stone. _ Do or do not...There is no try. Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering._ Natasha read the words over and until she remembered why she was there. She got up and dusted the dirt from her jeans and watched Dante as he removed the car seat from the back of his car and put it his trunk. Natasha dipped behind a tree and aimed the gun. Her hand was steady. Dante went to close his backseat door with his back to Natasha.

Natasha closed her eyes and hoped for the best. Her finger squeezed the trigger.

"Natasha!" Lorenzo wandered through the woods in desperate search until he heard the blast of a gun. He ducked behind a tree and searched the darkness with his eyes.

Another shot fired. Lorenzo's heart stopped. "Natasha!" He screamed.

Natasha found a hiding place for the gun and scrambled to bury it in the dirt. She yanked off one of her gloves and picked up the gun with gloved hand before forcing it into the dirt."

"Natasha!"

She knew Lorenzo's voice but she didn't want him to know she was there. Natasha tore through the woods to where she knew was a way to the tunnels of Wyndemere. She hesitated for a moment as she didn't want to go from her precious Mikkos knowing Helena was lingering but she knew she needed to be nowhere near Dante. She didn't even have a clue if she missed her target. Natasha raced through the woods far from Lorenzo's call and closer to the lake. She got to the water's edge and found a small boat tied to an old dock. She put the edge of her hand above her eyes to get an idea of how far the closest entrance to the tunnels would be.

Lorenzo made it to the cemetery and noticed the rose on Alec's grave. He looked ahead and to a car still parked down the way. His eyes lowered to a body lying on the ground. "Dear God…don't let that be…" He took his time and walked gradually closer until he recognized Dante unmoving on the ground.

* * *

Anna and Robert took their time wading through the tunnels. Robert led while Anna followed in silence. The only sounds heard were the critters playing in the night. Robert grabbed Anna's hand when he heard something other than a rat's glee over a piece of food.

"You hear that?" Robert stopped.

Anna tried her best to listen over her heart pounding in her chest. "I think I do."

"Let's follow it."

Holly allowed Franco to rest his head in her lap. She ran her fingers through his dark locks and sang a little tune. She held faith that Robert would realize that she was gone. Her song was intermittent and like a puppy Franco would paw her hand to continue to sing.

"It's Holly. I'd know that terrible singing anywhere." Robert held tighter to Anna's hand as they followed Holly's voice through the maze. "Holly!"

Holly stopped her singing. "Robert! I'm here!"

Robert and Anna hurried to the sound of Holly's voice. They both went from door to door and hole to hole before they met in the middle.

"Robert!" Holly yelled outward. "I wish I could describe where I am. It's like a lab of some type."

"A lab. Probably the same place that Franco held Alexis." Robert went in the direction that he recalled from more than a year before when Franco and Alexis were found unconscious at the supposed hands of Stavros.

Robert flung open the door to Holly on the floor with Franco bundled up with his head still in her lap. "Oh my God."

Anna shoved Robert inside. She, too, was met with disbelief. "Franco?"

Franco struggled to lift his head. He forced a smile before falling back onto Holly.

"He's dying." Holly explained to them both clearly in shock.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Lorenzo prayed that his begrudgingly good deed of calling in the shooting of Dante Falconeri wouldn't land him in the slammer. He cooperated to the best of his ability with the cops that scurried to the scene of the crime. He didn't want to know Dante's condition. He believed the worse. As he was pounded with questions, he stared out into the far beyond to Wyndemere in the distance. He prayed that she made it to safety. He wanted to kick himself for giving Zander back the bullets to the gun. _I knew I should have held on to them. But then Helena would have the power. Who am I fooling? She already does._

* * *

The PCPD was buzzing as if it was under attack. Phones were ringing off the hook and Mac found himself in a quagmire of a mess with barely any help.

"Where the hell is Lucky?!" Mac shouted from inside his office.

A cop brought out Johnny still handcuffed after a night in his cell.

Mac walked out to Johnny. "What the hell were you in here for?"

Johnny shrugged still groggy from the early morning wake up call.

"I guess we can't blame you for this shooting…directly. Uncuff him!" Mac marched back to his office and slammed his door closed.

Johnny waited patiently as the cop unlocked his handcuffs. "Who was shot?"

The cop remained mum until he released Johnny from the cuffs. "Detective Falconeri."

Johnny stuffed his hands in his pockets and swallowed hard. He figured the worse as he looked towards Mac's closed door. He noticed Gia hurry through the front doors. "What are you doing here?"

Gia shoved her briefcase under her arm. "I'm an attorney. I can help you."

Johnny rubbed his wrist. "I'm fine. Who shot Dante?"

"It wasn't you?"

"God no. I got an alibi."

"Gia!"

Gia looked back knowing the sound of that voice.

Detective Taggert strolled over to Gia and stretched out his arms awaiting her response. "Where's my welcome?"

Gia embraced Taggert but quickly pulled away. "What are you doing here?"

"Commissioner Scorpio called me. Said the PCPD is slammed. Retirement sucks." Taggert took notice of Johnny standing behind Gia. "Well…if it isn't Mr. Johnny Zacharra. Don't tell me you're his attorney."

"Don't start!" Gia put up her hand to Taggert. "I had to get away from you and Mom nagging me all the time. I'm good."

"I should probably go see Lulu." Johnny left Gia and Taggert.

"He's really into you." Taggert clicked his tongue. "What are you doing here Gia?"

Gia rolled her eyes. "Can we talk about it later?"

* * *

Alexis couldn't remember when she slept so peacefully. Her body swayed and she felt as if she was floating in a dream until the breeze blew her hair onto her face. She opened her eyes and found herself face to face with the sky. She was startled. Alexis sat upright and realized the sway was on the boat still tied to the deck. "Oh my God. Where am I?" She grabbed her stomach immediately feeling a bout of morning sickness rush through her body. She could barely breathe as she tried to not be frightened by the lack of a memory of how she got there.

"Alexis…" Stavros walked along the edge of the lake on the prowl. He stood before her. "An odd place to take a nap don't you think?"

Alexis held tight onto the sides of the boat. "I don't know where I am."

Stavros pointed ahead. "Not far from home…or should I say Wyndemere. You hate that place. I guess I can't blame you much."

Alexis took deep, concentrated breaths. She turned her head towards Wyndemere in the distance. "How do I get out of this boat? I think I should go to the hospital." She grabbed her stomach. "I'm worried about the baby."

Stavros watched her clearly helpless and frazzled. He walked over to the docks and bent down to pull the boat in with the rope. "Another fine mess you've gotten yourself into. And me…always to the rescue."

The boat encroached towards the dock. Alexis steadied herself. Stavros reached out his hand to her.

Alexis lifted her shaky hand unsure if it was truly safe to trust Stavros with her life even for a moment. She dropped it to her side. "I can do it myself. You can go."

Stavros stood up. "Alexis…I don't know that our father would care much for me if I killed you. I promise I'll behave." He reached out to her again.

Alexis pulled on her knees and took Stavros hand. Every part of her was disgusted by his touch but her body was weak from Natasha's energy sucking the life out of her.

Stavros took all of his strength to pull her up to the landing of the dock. As soon as she was safely on her feet, he released her hand. "See. I'm not bad am I? Would you like me to escort you to the hospital?"

Alexis shook her head. "No. I think I know where I am. Not completely." She studied her surroundings. "I don't think I've ever been back here before."

"Seems to have been abandoned. I'm guessing you were hiding from someone."

Alexis pulled her coat close to her and checked her bare hand with the residue of mud. "No. I don't know. But I'll go to the hospital." She turned still a zombie until a thought came to her mind. She focused back on Stavros. "What would possess you to rape me?"

Stavros daggered his intense stare.

"Just own up to it. Little by little I remember what happened in that cave."

"I tried to save you. It was Luis…"

"Don't try to blame Luis. Yes….Luis brought me to the cave against my will but it was you who…" Alexis closed her eyes. "I hate that I'm remembering every little detail."

"Then don't." Stavros broke out a smile. "Probably best that you don't."

"Why are you such a hateful man? You were always that way. What did I ever do to you?"

"You were born." Stavros yanked at his gloves. "I hate that you were born. You don't deserve to breathe. You turned my son against me. I don't take too kindly to such things. Were our father still dead, I'd let you and your spawn drown in that lake."

Alexis stepped away.

"Alexis…" Stavros approached her. "A son for a son. Have you found yours?"

Alexis slowly shook her head. "No. I haven't. But I know you know where he is."

Stavros cackled. "Nice try. Good day." He stormed off towards the woods.

Alexis was stunned that she even dared address the issue with Stavros. She'd never before even thought to think of what happened to her decades before. And it was only through Natasha that she'd even acknowledge it. She felt a small sense of power and relief but looking down at her muddied hand brought her back to the wonder of what the hell she had done the night before.

* * *

Sonny woke up that morning with a blistering headache. He steadied himself on the side of the bed and realized that he hadn't heard from Alexis since they both returned from their trip to New York City.

"Dad! It's Kristina!"

Sonny turned back and noticed both Spencer and Molly still asleep. He smiled taking pride in the close relationship he had developed with both of the children, neither of them biologically his own. _I guess it is possible._ He got up from his bed and slowly made his way downstairs.

Kristina seemed agitated as she eyed the liquor that beckoned for her on his serving table. "Good Morning."

Sonny embraced Kristina and kissed her face. "It was a bad night for everyone."

"How did you know?" Kristina pulled from Sonny. "How are Molly and Spencer? I heard Johnny was arrested last night."

Sonny took Kristina's hand and sat down with her on the couch. "I need to tell you something."

"Something about Mom?"

"Everything about Mom."

"You're canceling the wedding?"

"No." Sonny fiercely shook his head. "Only death could keep me from marrying your mother and even death will be cheated." He smiled.

Kristina breathed a sigh of relief. "Then what's wrong? I haven't seen Mom in such a long time."

"Natasha showed up on our trip together."

"No!"

"Yea. Not thrilled about it. But she spent a little time with me. I think it's promising."

Kristina grew concerned. "Dad, Natasha can't stay. We have to get Mom help."

"I'm trying. There's another part of it. The baby, our baby, that baby isn't mine." Sonny's eyes dropped to the ground.

"I know. Johnny already mentioned all of that. Dad, can you and Johnny not fight about this? You know what custody battles did to me. It's just not healthy."

"Kristina, I'm not gonna fight Johnny."

Kristina smiled. "Really? You two can get along when the baby comes? It won't be like A.J.?"

Sonny sat back on the couch. "What's going on with A.J.?"

Kristina level of trust with her father dropped. "I don't see him."

Sonny paced himself as he tried his best to figure out how to explain to Kristina his thoughts on A.J. "We're never going to agree on this."

"Boss!" Milo hurried into the living room. "Johnny Zacharra is here to see you."

Sonny groaned. "Show him in."

Johnny stepped inside. "Sonny, I just left GH. I went there to see Lulu but they released her this morning in Laura Spencer's care."

Sonny stood up. "What about Luke?"

"I didn't see Luke. I just came to tell you that Dante was shot. They brought him into GH."

Kristina shot up from the couch. "Whoa! He was shot?"

Sonny moved closer but Johnny stepped back and threw up his hands. "Sonny, it wasn't me. I spent the night in the slammer. I overheard Mac having a tantrum and Detective Taggert showed up saying something about being out of retirement."

Sonny rubbed his forehead in disbelief. "Why are you telling me all of this? Why do you care?"

Kristina clinched tight to Sonny's arm. "Dad, we should go."

"I don't want to fight with you anymore. Jason and Sam trust me with Molly and Spencer. I can stay while you and Kristina go to the hospital."

Sonny pried Kristina's fingers from his arm and grabbed his coat from the hook. "Kristina, go find Michael and Morgan. Tell them to come to the hospital. Johnny…" He pointed in Johnny's direction. "Those kids mean everything to me. Watch over them. If Alexis comes, tell her where I am."

Johnny slowly nodded.

* * *

Alexis stepped off the elevator of GH to the commotion of doctors and nurses rushing through the ER to one room in particular. She was unaffected by the noise around her in desperate search. She went to the nurses' station and found Epiphany hustling at the computer. Alexis knocked on the counter.

Epiphany lifted her head. "Yes?"

"Do you know where Dr. Lee is?"

Epiphany touched her chest and angled her head towards the room of interest. "You're on the wrong floor. Go up two more."

Alexis noticed Epiphany was distracted. "What's going on?"

Epiphany winced but couldn't hold back. "Franco is alive."

Alexis grabbed at her head. She felt dizzy. The palms of her hands started to sweat and the lightheaded feeling trickled down her back and to her legs. They went from under her until she hit the ground and blacked out.

All Alexis could feel were strong hands picking her up and voices calling her name. She didn't want to open her eyes. She honestly couldn't. Her body was paralyzed. She blacked out again and slowly came to her senses after the feel of soft lips against her cheek. "Sonny?" She took a deep breath and rolled over in the hospital bed savoring the chance to finally get proper rest.

Lorenzo rested his hand on her head and tried not to take offense to her utterance.

Dr. Lee walked in the room. "Everything checked out ok. Thank God, the baby is fine."

Lorenzo looked down at Alexis. "I shouldn't be here. I was just checking on Dante Falconeri."

"Last I heard he's losing a lot of blood. He suffered from multiple wounds."

"Multiple?" Lorenzo questioned.

"Yea. You seem confused. Were you anywhere near the shooting?"

Lorenzo scratched his head. "No. When she wakes up, don't tell her I was here." He rushed out of the room.

Alexis rolled over onto her back and opened her eyes. "Dr. Lee?"

Dr. Lee smiled. "Do you want to know what you're having?" She held up the file. "I took a peek."

Alexis sat up in her bed. "Sure."

Dr. Lee pulled up a stool next to Alexis' bed. "Your daughter would love it if her mother would stop putting her life in danger. I'm very close to putting you both on bed rest."

Alexis touched her stomach. "Girl?"

"Girl. Happy?"

Alexis inhaled deeply. "Is she ok?"

"I ran some extra tests. We'll have to wait for all of the results. But she looks pretty healthy."

"Have you seen Sonny?"

Dr. Lee's smile faded. "Lie down." She got up and pulled at Alexis' blanket. "Come on. You need to rest."

Alexis lie down and grabbed her covers to her before drifting off to sleep.

_Natasha cradled the bundle of screaming baby girl in her arms. She was mesmerized by the little girl with her crimson skin and dark hair. "Alexandra, why are you not happy?"_

_The door of Natasha's room crept open. Natasha didn't notice Stavros' prying eyes glistening in the dark. Helena shoved Stavros aside and stormed into the room._

"_Give her to me?!" Helena demanded._

_Natasha snuggled tight to Alexandra finally quieting down and the color in her face returning to normal. "No. Please don't take her!"_

_Helena reached in and grabbed hold to the newborn. "Let her go! You can't keep her!"_

"_Mother!" Stavros walked in and grabbed his mother. "Leave them alone. I'll handle this."_

"_Get it done." Helena huffed as she left the room._

_Natasha held Alexandra closer to her body and refused to even look in Stavros' direction. _

_Stavros gently took Alexandra's tiny fingers in his hand. "Say goodbye Natasha. You can't keep her. Father's orders." _

King Mikkosavich walked into the office and practically slipped on something under his shoe. He bent over and picked up a picture. He studied it closely. "Little Alexandra. Your grandmothers would have loved you." He pressed the picture against his chest. "I'm sorry you and your mother were separated."

Brenda poked her head into the office. "Hello?"

Mikkosavich quickly turned to Brenda. "You're that hot model Dr. Jackson showed me on his machine."

Brenda walked in. "I used to be a model. I think I know who you are. Nikolas won't stop talking about his grandfather being alive. You have a beautiful eye for architecture. He said you designed the villas on the Cassadine Islands?"

"I did." Mikkosavich tossed the picture onto the desk.

Brenda picked it up. "What a precious baby? Is this Alexis?"

"It's Alexandra."

"I don't know who that is." Brenda paused for moment. "Oh…I do. It's Sam. She goes by Sam now. You two haven't met?"

Mikkosavich paced. "I allowed Helena to take her. I was so angry at Natasha. I asked her how could she derail her education by getting pregnant. She couldn't keep the baby."

"But they found each other years later. Just like Nikolas found Laura."

"Laura." Mikkosavich grunted. "I know no use for anything named Spencer."

"I get it. You're still angry. Some of us are ready to move on. Nikolas is working on making amends with his mother. Don't get in the way of that."

"You speak prematurely Ms. Barrett. But I'll let it slide since you're so charmingly beautiful. I understand why Nikolas loves you."

Brenda perked up a bit surprised. "Nikolas talks about me?"

"All the time." Mikkosavich sat at the desk and propped his feet up on it.

Brenda grinned reassured. "That's good to know. I had my doubts."

* * *

Sam opened her eyes and found herself face to face with Lucky. She slapped her hands to her face hoping it was just a nightmare. She removed them when she realized she was Lucky's in bedroom and she clearly never left.

Lucky yanked the covers over his head and continued his snoring.

Sam carefully slide further and further away hoping to not disturb Lucky but she found herself tangled up the sheets. "What the hell happened?" She whispered as she found her shoes by the bed. She quickly realized she was fully dressed. "Did anything happen?" She asked herself.

Jason buried his face in his hands while Kevin waited for him to speak.

Kevin let out an irritated yawn. "Morgan. I charge by the half hour. And I'm not cheap."

Jason removed his hands. "She didn't come home last night."

Kevin got up from his desk. "Didn't you tell me Sam blacks out when she has too much to drink?"

"Sam's not a big drinker."

"But alcohol fucks her up."

"Who doesn't get a little drunk?"

"Let's talk about Franco…"

"Let's not!" Jason shot up from the couch and shoved his hands in his pockets. "It wasn't her fault. Lorenzo shot her. Franco drugged her and the rest is history."

"I'm not blaming the victim. Remember when Sam thought it was a good idea to go diving while drunk? And all of a sudden finds the missing Ice Princess. This could be Helena's doing?"

Jason rolled his eyes. "How?"

"Helena had control over Sam most of her life."

"No. She didn't."

Kevin grabbed Jason's shirt. "Listen to me. Natasha's mother dies. Helena's in for the kill. Sends Little Natasha off with a family not far away so she can keep a close watch over her pet project."

"Sam wasn't Helena's pet project."

"Programming is strong Jason. Look at Lucky. You're sitting here on my couch crying because Lucky's screwing your wife. Birds of a feather, Jason."

Jason rubbed his temple. "How can you fix her?"

Kevin shrugged his shoulder. "I can't even fix Alexis. I have to admit defeat on that front. Helena's programming is deep. I try to destroy Natasha and I can easily end up destroying Alexis as well."

* * *

Sonny paced outside the ER playing with his fingers that he could barely feel as they thawed from the biting cold. Luke rushed over to Sonny and grabbed his shoulder not knowing what to say and instead deciding it more fitting to grace his friend with a warm touch.

"Feels like Lily all over again." Sonny looked down.

"We got Lulu settled at home."

Sonny stared at Luke. "How she doing?"

"That wheelchair's not working for her. But she's resting. She doesn't know what happened to Dante."

"Probably should keep it that way." Sonny walked past Luke and tried to see through the commotion of doctor's and nurse's working on Dante.

"Maybe you shouldn't watch, Corinthos…"

"I shot him…."

Luke's eyes bulged. "What?"

"Once…not this time but once before. I almost killed him. And he forgave me for it. Lately we've been at odds over this Alexis and Franco situation. I get that I put him in a compromising position but I gotta protect Alexis…" Sonny looked to Luke. "Right? Is all of this worth it? If you had to choose between the woman you loved and your kid, who would you choose?"

"You'd think it's a no-brainer."

Sonny grunted. "You'd think. Damnit Luke I can't end it with her. I just can't. We've come so far."

"And that ring you bought ain't cheap."

"Well…she was worth every penny. I need you to tell me what to do here. Do I cut my losses with Alexis and walk away?"

"Sonny!" Patrick hurried towards Sonny. "Listen, it's not looking good for Dante. He's losing too much blood. Have you contacted Olivia?"

Sonny nodded delusion to the words flowing from Patrick's mouth. "She's on the way." His voice cracked.

Patrick went back into the ER.

Sonny turned to Luke again. "You gonna answer my question?"

Luke refused to look Sonny in the eyes. "Walk away."

Sonny moved closer to Luke. "Laura stuck with you through rape and you're telling me to walk away for less?"

"You asked. Nothing good comes from loving a Cassadine…even Natasha."

"Sonny?" Dr. Lee approached Sonny. "Alexis was brought in. She fainted."

Sonny perked up. "Is she alright?"

"She is. And now that she knows the sex of the baby, you can pick out names." Dr. Lee smiled.

Sonny cracked a smile. "I'm glad to hear she's ok. You didn't tell her about Dante right?"

"No." Dr. Lee shook her head. "Just so you know but Lorenzo was here with her for a little bit. Not sure what that's about." She walked away.

Sonny sighed. "Guess that answers my question."

"In what way? Don't tell me you're basing a decision on whether or not Alcazar is involved."

"How is this any different from Stefan?"

"It's not. Stop playing with Natasha's heart Corinthos." Luke left the hospital.

Patrick stepped out of the ER pulling his blood soaked gloves from his hand and tossing them in the trash. His eyes never left the ground until he slowly meandered over to Sonny.

Sonny knew what it all meant. He watched as other doctors and nurses poured out of the room and went their separate ways. The room was somber. Sonny could only hear his heart beating in his ears. He figured he was having a heart attack from the pain traveling through his body. But he stood tall until Patrick reached him and rested his hand on Sonny's shoulder.

"Dante is dead, Sonny. You're free to go in and see him. Or do you want to wait until we clean him up?"

Sonny couldn't find the words to say knowing that moment was merely delayed. "Olivia can't see him like that." His voice quivered. "And neither can I. I'm sorry." The tears poured from his eyes. "Who the hell did this?" The guilt of his own hypocrisy pounded in his chest but he didn't care. His son was dead.


	21. Chapter 21

_**Sorry about the delay. Life got in the way.**_

**Chapter 21**

The rains beat down on Lorenzo's Oxford studio window. He woke up in a fog as the cool air caused his naked body to tremble. He pulled at the covers and realized that they were all bundled up around Natasha. His head pounded as he looked over at her curled up on the other side of his bed wrapped up in his sheets. "I don't remember anything." He whispered.

Natasha started to stir as the sound of the shutters banged together against the wind. Lorenzo rushed from his bed to close the shutters and the loose window. He leaned on the windowsill to catch his bearings to remember what happened the night before. He was embarrassed that he had too much to drink.

"Does it always rain like this? I'd hate to ruin my trip." Natasha sat up in the bed.

Lorenzo turned to her while grabbing his clothes thrown across the chair. He struggled to put on his pants as he was still a bit tipsy. "Yes. Sadly it does. That's why I do a lot of reading and writing. Perfect weather just to hibernate." He sauntered over to his coffeemaker and started it to brew.

"What's the plan for today?" Natasha pulled her knees to her chest.

"I have a class to prepare for. I can't be much of a tour guide." Lorenzo kept his eyes to the ground.

"Is there some reason you don't want to discuss last night?"

Lorenzo lifted his eyes to Natasha. "I would if I could remember it. I fear I was a bit drunk. I'd hate it if I mindlessly took your virginity."

Natasha cackled. "My virginity? No worries. I wasn't a virgin…" Her voice trailed off dissolving into a puddle of shame.

"Oh…" Lorenzo sipped his coffee relieved. "Coffee?"

Natasha waved away his offer. "I was raped."

Lorenzo spit out his mouthful of coffee and choked. He slammed down his mug and tried to catch his breath. He rested his head on the back of the chair. "I said I don't remember."

"Not you. Luis and Stavros."

Alexis woke up feeling someone grabbing her wrists. She fought the pressure until she opened her eyes and noticed the clean shaven face of a young Lorenzo was bearded and aging gracefully. "Lorenzo?"

Lorenzo released her and sat down next to her bed. "I brought you to an undisclosed location."

Alexis shot up. "Huh? I was in the hospital. Franco is alive."

Lorenzo nodded. "I know. That's why I took you away. Too much going on." He got up and paced. "Sonny can't know that you killed his kid."

Alexis touched her chest. "Wait what? I didn't kill anyone. I clearly didn't kill Franco."

Lorenzo leaned on the fireplace. "You and I both know your father did this. That man." He smashed his fist into the brick and wrung it in pain. "He always thinks he's fixing things but he ends up making it worse. He's the reason I never knew my kid. I'll never forgive him for that."

Alexis got out of the bed. "What kid? What kid died?"

"Dante was shot and killed in the woods." Lorenzo eyed Alexis. "I know for a fact, you…I mean Natasha was in the woods that night. Helena made Natasha angry." He grabbed at his smarting hand. "Natasha must learn to control her anger."

"You're one to talk. You tied Sonny to a chair and beat him senseless in the name of revenge. Don't give out orders you can't follow yourself. Take me back to that hospital!"

"I won't!" Lorenzo yelled. "Between Franco and Dante you're safest here."

"I have to find my son." Alexis wiped away tears.

Lorenzo stared at her in disbelief. "What did you just say?"

"Mikkos." Alexis sniffled. "I can't be away from him any longer."

Lorenzo crossed his arms. "You've gotten worse. You and Natasha…there was a time when the left hand knew what the right hand was doing. Alexis, you have no clue what has transpired over the last couple of days do you?"

"I was in New York City with Sonny. We went to the opera. And then I was in the hospital. That's all I remember."

"How did you get to the hospital?"

Alexis sat down on the bed. "I saw Stavros. I woke up in this boat tied to the dock. Stavros was on the dock. He helped me get back on the dock. We argued. I asked him about the rape."

"Why bring up old wounds?"

"You just stood there and said you can never forgive my father for taking Sam away. He didn't just take Sam from you. He took her away from me too." Alexis stood up and moved closer to Lorenzo. "You know why I can't stand you? You're a self-absorbed son of a bitch. Always have been."

Lorenzo smirked. "And the man you're marrying is a boy scout? You better start being nicer to me Alexis."

"Or what?"

Lorenzo couldn't do it. He wanted soo badly to make Alexis pay for something. He wasn't sure exactly what. "I would give anything to have Natasha back. She gets me. I get her. I couldn't wait to see the face of the girl in the stables who couldn't understand a word of Spanish."

"That girl was left behind in Greece a long time ago."

"And so was Mikkosavich. But you have hope that you'll see him again. And I'll keep hope that I'll see Natasha again."

Alexis barged past Lorenzo and flung open the door. She stepped out into the hall. The sounds of a child's laughter filled the front room. Alexis noticed the TV flickering before her with a cartoon.

Lorenzo walked out past her and picked up Mikkos from the couch putting all of his excited focus on the cartoon. "I found that he really enjoys Tom and Jerry."

Alexis couldn't believe her eyes. She reached out to touch the little boy fidgeting in Lorenzo's arms.

Lorenzo turned off the TV prompting Mikkos to set his attention on Alexis.

"Momma." Mikkos' grin filled his face. "Mouse." He pointed towards the TV.

"Enough of that for the day." Lorenzo held tight to Mikkos. "People do come back…Alexis. I have faith I'll see Natasha again. And she'll accept my proposal."

"You found him?" Alexis was hesitant to touch Mikkos as she noticed Lorenzo's protective body language guarding the baby as if he was a lion protecting his cub.

"Yes." Lorenzo moved away from and took to the floor with Mikkos and his toys. "You can go. Mikkos and I will just stay here away from danger. I doubt you'd want Franco to see him."

Alexis was still in disbelief. "He's gotten so big. And he called me Momma. He talks."

Mikkos started to sing as he played with his toy truck.

Alexis laughed. "And sings. I can't believe my eyes right now. I do remember the day Helena threatened us in Greece. I knew I had to do something to protect him…all of them." She got down on the floor. "Are you serious about Dante?"

"Yes. You and Mikkos. Natasha and Mikkos were at a cabin in the woods. I had left you there alone while I went to deal with Johnny. I came back and Natasha was gone."

"I left my little boy alone again?"

Lorenzo grabbed a toy truck and rolled it across the ground. "No. Someone else was there. But I promised him that I wouldn't reveal his identity to anyone. He wants to flee the country and I plan to help him do so."

* * *

Zander slung his bag across his shoulder and started through the woods. As he reached the edge of entering civilization, he pondered if he really wanted to leave Port Charles again. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash given to him by Lorenzo. He opened his bag and tossed the cash inside. He continued on down the path to Kelly's where he stopped and noticed it was open for business and brimming with guests.

Johnny rubbed his eyes and watched Gia busy with her iPad. "Can you put that thing down for a minute?"

Gia laid the iPad down on the table and picked up a spoon to stir her coffee. "I never knew Dante."

"What the fuck does it matter?" Johnny sipped his coffee. He peered over his mug and noticed something odd about Gia's behavior. "Talk to me. Something's going on."

Gia sighed. "Sonny is my brother."

Johnny looked to his side and quickly focused back on Gia. "How long have you known?"

"Not long. Definitely not when I was last here."

"How?"

"Found out that Mike is my father."

"Jesus, Papa was a rolling stone."

"Definitely."

Sam raced into Kelly's and grabbed Johnny's arm. "I need you. You have to fix something for me."

Zander slid behind a tree and tried to see the activities inside namely the only face that he recognized-Gia's.

Sam pulled up a chair to the table. "I ended up in bed with Lucky."

Gia swallowed hard. "Should I leave?"

"No." Sam shook her head. "Jason thinks something is up."

"Did he say something to you?" Johnny asked.

"I'm avoiding him."

Johnny waited for Sam to say more.

Sam was mortified. "You think I had sex with Lucky?"

"Did you?" Gia asked.

"God no." Sam's hands trembled. "I don't remember. I don't think so. I would never cheat on Jason. Not on purpose. This happened once before and Alana was almost not Jason's." She took a deep breath. "Something's not right. Something's off."

"Calm down Sam. You know Jason would understand." Johnny tried to reassure her.

Sam slid downward in her chair. "Thank God Franco is dead. Jason and I can work this out in therapy with Kevin. It was going so well and now this."

Zander went to leave the safety of the tree but slammed into Kristina. "Oh God." He gasped. "I'm sorry."

Kristina blinked. "It's you. Zander? It's you. I'd know that face anywhere."

Zander took his finger and brushed the hair from his eyes to see her clearly. "Kristina?" He smiled. "I'd know those dimples anywhere."

Kristina embraced Zander. "Are you safe?"

"I was heading out of town. I can't be seen here. I gotta go." He tried to leave but Kristina grabbed his arm.

"No. I know where you can go. And I promise no one will rat you out. I just found you. I don't want to lose you again."

"I don't want to be a problem." Zander fussed.

"Please. Let me help." Kristina took his hand and led him away.

* * *

Ethan wandered aimlessly on the docks until he spotted Robin. "Thanks for meeting me."

Robin wrapped her arms around Ethan. "I can't believe it."

"He won't live for long. Have you seen him?"

Robin pulled from Ethan. "No. I can't see him. But my mom and dad won't leave his side. Can you believe that Mikkosavich Cassadine is alive?"

"I thought that was a rumor?"

"You don't talk to your mom?"

Ethan sat down on the bench. "I'm a rock stuck in a hard place. I'm not some overachiever like you nor am I some misunderstood creep."

"Robert loves you. I know he was disappointed when he thought you weren't his son."

"Well I am." Ethan looked ahead and squinted his eyes. "Hey. Is that Kristina?"

Robin stared out as the launch left the dock. "Looks like it. But who's with her?"

"Doesn't look like AJ nor does it look like Michael."

* * *

Sam couldn't believe her ears. "Dante is dead? How?"

Johnny played with the spoon on the table. "Someone shot him to death."

"How did Lulu take the news?"

"Not well." Gia picked up her iPad and played with it.

"I should go see her." Sam got up from the table. "What about Sonny?"

Johnny shook his head. "Not a good idea. He's in his dark place. You know how that goes."

* * *

Brenda let herself into the Greystone and went up the stairs. Milo stepped in front of the door of Sonny's bedroom.

"You don't want to go in there Ms. C. He's not in a good place."

Brenda stepped back. "Please. "

Milo stepped aside as Brenda opened Sonny's bedroom door.

It was complete darkness but Brenda could see Sonny leaned against the side of the bed. His Scotch glass was perched, empty of spirits, in his hand. Brenda kneeled down and pulled the glass from his fingers.

"You shouldn't drink anymore. It's not a good example for Kristina." She expected him to fight her but he just sat there immobile.

Brenda placed the glass on the nightstand and sat next to him. "I keep wondering if any of this is my fault. Or if there was anything I could have done to keep this from happening."

"Shit happens Brenda." Sonny stuttered. "I'm sorry." He rubbed his face. "Alec's not alone now. They're together. That's what I gotta focus on." He looked at Brenda. "Right?"

"Right." Brenda agreed.

* * *

"Daddy look!" Mikkos was frustrated as he shoved his truck in Lorenzo's face. "No Vroom Vroom!"

Lorenzo laughed. "I see. The truck does Vroom Vroom. You gotta try harder."

"No." Mikkos moved the truck on the ground hoping to make a sound.

Alexis observed Mikkos playing. "He calls you Daddy."

Lorenzo ran his fingers through Mikkos' hair. "There was a time when you trusted him in my care because you believed I was the best thing for him. I guess you've forgotten that too."

"This is all very complicated."

"What happens when you marry Sonny? Will I lose everything? First Sam and now Mikkos? Haven't I lost enough? I've only made one promise in life. And that's the only I should be held to."

"What's that?"

"Our first horse ride together…King Mikkosavich asked me to bring back his Natasha in one piece and I promised I would."

* * *

Kristina pulled Zander into one of the offices of Wyndemere. "I'm sure you remember this place?"

Zander dropped his bag. "I do. And I shouldn't be here Kristina. It's dangerous."

"No. I promised…"

"Kristina…not for me but for the Prince. I've been hired to kill the Prince. And he resides here."

Kristina shook her head. "No. No he doesn't."

Zander twirled the ring on his finger. "What do you mean?"

"If you're talking about Nikolas, he's not the prince any longer."

Zander held his breath. "No? Then who is?"

"My little brother. His name is Mikkosavich Alexander. Alexander because of you." Kristina blushed.

Zander looked down. "Lorenzo was right."

"You've met Lorenzo?"

Zander leaned against the desk. "I have. And he swore he wouldn't lie to me. And he didn't. Helena played me for a fool." He started to cry.

Kristina put her arm around Zander. "Why are you crying?"

"I don't know where I am or what I'm supposed to be doing. I did some terrible things Kristina. I've hurt a lot of people."

"It's ok. My mom will fix it. I bet all you need is a good lawyer."

"She didn't recognize me."

"You saw her?"

Zander wiped his eyes. "Nevermind. I've said too much already."

The door of the office open and Stefan walked in. "Well…if it isn't Zander Smith. You're alive."

Zander stood at attention. "I will go."

"No!" Kristina held Zander. "Please Stefan!" She jumped in front of Zander. "You know my mother would want him to stay."

"Not under the same roof as Nikolas. Be gone."

"Ok." Kristina grabbed Zander's bag. "Let's go."

Zander followed Kristina out of the office.

Stefan closed the door behind them. He noticed the walls open to the tunnels and King Mikkosavich walk in. Stefan became docile in his father's presence.

"What antics does my granddaughter think she's pulling? Bringing an assassin under my roof?"

Stefan pulled his hands behind his back. "I've asked Kristina to rid us of the riffraff."

"She's her mother's child. You expect she'll do what you asked? He may not be the prince but Nikolas must be protected."

"Agreed."

King Mikkosavich sat down at the desk. "Now on to business. Any updates on Franco? Is Natasha out of hot water?"

"Unfortunately no. If Franco dies, it will be from his injuries."

"But there is no proof that Natasha injured him."

"We don't know how busy Stavros and mother have been. I'm sure they can forge something."

"Helena has been warned about hurting any of my children."

Stefan smirked. "And you trust that she listens to you? Fascinating."

"Are you being cynical?"

Stefan frowned. "No Sir. I'm just being honest. Mother cannot be trusted. My goal has always been to protect my sister knowing that she needed it."

* * *

Mikkos hopped into Lorenzo's lap finally growing tired of his playtime.

Alexis got up from the ground. "It's soo weird that I don't feel anything for you."

Lorenzo stood up cradling Mikkos in his arms. "Maybe you can learn to love me again?"

Alexis slowly shook her head. "Not possible. I love Sonny." She grabbed her stomach.

Lorenzo laid a tired Mikkos down on the couch. "Are you ok?"

"Apparently my daughter doesn't like you either." Alexis laughed as she rubbed her stomach.

"A girl…" Lorenzo chuckled. "Poor Mikkos. Surrounded by women."

"Well he does have Nikolas. They can band together."

Lorenzo watched Alexis pat her belly. "You know what I find interesting. You don't care that Dante is dead. That gives me hope."

Alexis' face turned red. "It's not that I don't care. It's just that I'm really happy right now. The impossible happened. My little boy is home. I don't think anything can steal that joy from me now."

Lorenzo took his hand and rested it on Alexis' stomach. "Do you really believe this baby is Sonny's?"

"Do you really believe this baby is Johnny's?"

Lorenzo nodded. "I do. He has every right to be a part of its life."

Alexis pressed her hand on top of Lorenzo's. "This is a bad time to make any crazy decisions. I think it can wait."

* * *

Kristina went up to the door of the Greystone and realized Zander was far behind her. "Please. You know Dad would never leave you hanging."

"Where was he was I almost died?" Zander grit his teeth. "I should go Kristina."

Max opened the door and eyed Zander at the edge of the driveway. "Kristina…."

"Shut up Max!" Kristina beckoned Zander to follow her inside. She found Brenda downstairs. "Where is my dad?"

Sonny walked down the stairs. "I'm here."

"I need your help. Promise you'll help me?" Kristina begged.

Sonny was weary but he didn't hesitate to agree.

Kristina opened the door and pulled Zander inside. "Can you believe it Dad? Zander's alive."

Zander stayed close behind Kristina.

Brenda put down her magazine.

Sonny rubbed his eyes. "Zander? It's really you."

Kristina stepped aside. "It's really him."

Zander put down his bag. He held his arms to his side not sure where to put them. "Hey Sonny." He looked over and noticed Brenda. "Brenda."

Brenda waved and moved to the corner of the couch.

Sonny reached out to Zander and touched him as if he was discovering him for the first time. "Wow. I needed this. Give me a hug."

Zander buried his body into Sonny's. "So good to see you again."

Sonny hugged Zander. "Where you been?"

"I wish I knew." Zander cried.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Lulu's world was upside down. She tried her best to be strong as she maneuvered around her mother's living room in her wheelchair. She processed her feelings about her father and his role in her condition; she thought about the resilience that was reflected in her mother's eyes when she'd visit a catatonic Laura in Paris.

"What's on your mind?" Nikolas kneeled down beside Lulu's wheelchair.

"I'm Luke and Laura's daughter." A forced smile graced Lulu's face.

Nikolas kissed Lulu's cheek. "That's the spirit." He stood up not wanting to leave her side. "And your feelings on Dante?"

Lulu's smile faded. "It was hard waking up this morning. And then I think of Alec and how they can finally go to that Yankees game together. And then I think why am I fooling myself…there's no God and there's no Heaven."

Nikolas sat down in a chair near Lulu. "Talking to Luke I see."

"If there was a God, why is everyone dying? Why am I in this wheelchair?"

"Those are questions I can't answer. But you just said it yourself. You're Luke and Laura's daughter."

Lulu looked away with a heavy sigh. "I thought maybe Stefan confided in you."

"About what?" Nikolas' furrowed his brow.

"You know Stefan and our mother had an affair?"

Nikolas stood up clearly uncomfortable. "Yes. And Helena used that to play around with my paternity. I wish Stefan was my father but that's not the case. I'm the son of Stavros and no longer the prince."

Lulu nervously rolled her chair back and forth. "Stefan says he's my father. I don't know if that's for sure."

Nikolas nodded and smiled. "You don't think I already know this? I remember when you were just a baby. And I leaned over your crib when you were in the hospital. I had just saved your life. You looked up at me and I became this puddle. I finally had the family that I always wanted. I hated Laura. She left me behind but you had those beautiful big eyes and you focused on me like I was your hero. It felt good. I beat my chest a little when Lucky came in and saw me. At the time it felt good to make Lucky feel small. It's the Spencerdine rivalry that put you in that wheelchair."

Lulu looked up at Nikolas. "Are you going to be my hero again?"

"That's a tall order. I feel like when I lost my crown, I lost my superhero powers." Nikolas laughed. "But I will buy the best doctor's and physical therapist on the planet. But no matter what, you are perfect. For you, I will do anything to fix this. "

* * *

Lila Rae's tea was right on time but she had no guests. The Quartermaine house was quiet and solemn at the news of both Dante and the return of Franco. Instead Lila Rae pulled out her red wagon and loaded it with teddy bears and child-sized dolls. She pulled them out to the rose garden that was graced with a beautiful day. Lila Rae seated her guests one by one and once they were situated she took her seat and waited patiently for Alice to come to the garden with her tea. As Lila Rae leaned her elbows on the table, she hummed a song to her guests. She finally perked up when Skye stepped out to the garden.

"Mommy!" Lila Rae jumped up from her seat and ran to her mother. "Please stay. It's so quiet and Alice hasn't brought out the tea just yet. I can ask her to set another place for you."

"Well if you insist."

Lila Rae grabbed Skye's hand and pulled her to the table. She carefully picked up her bear and placed him on the ground. "He'll understand. He gets invited every week."

Skye sat down on the small chair and held out her arms to keep herself balanced. "I hope I don't hit the ground."

"You won't! Daddy sits on the little chairs too."

Skye's heart melted to a smile. "Do you mean Lorenzo?"

Lila Rae was hesitant. "Sure. I think so. You said he was in hell but he's not."

Skye blushed as she fussed with the empty porcelain cup. "Baby, I owe you a big apology. I know I haven't been very present. It's just that. Your father being here…"

"Daddy!" Lila Rae leaped from her chair and jumped into Lorenzo's arms.

"I'm just feeling the love everywhere I go." Lorenzo showered Lila Rae with a bear hug before settling down at the tiny table.

"It's not Tuesday." Lila Rae kissed Lorenzo's cheek. "But I can make room for you today."

Lorenzo acknowledged Skye with a nod. "Lila and I have a standing day of Tuesday with Sam and Alana."

"It's a Tuesday Tea extravaganza!" Lila Rae threw her arms in the air.

"Well I'm glad to see you two bonding." Skye swallowed the lump of guilt in her throat.

Alice stepped outside. "Miss Lila Rae. I need help with this tea order." She winked at Lorenzo and Skye.

Lila Rae didn't hesitate to follow Alice into the house.

"You clearly didn't come for tea." Skye watched inside the house to make sure Lila Rae was gone.

"No. I need advice." Lorenzo leaned on the table. "Do I give up on Natasha? Alexis came back."

Skye scoffed. "How appropriate. You come here to ask me how you should handle your love life? That's a little rude don't you think?"

"Skye, if this is about you and me getting back together, how can I trust a woman that ordered a hit on me?"

"She killed your brother."

"My brother held her down while Stavros raped her."

Skye looked away out into the blooming rose garden. "I wish I could take back the hit. I can't. I wasn't thinking. Actually I was. I was thinking about our child and how dangerous your life was at the time."

"Do I need to say it?"

"I'm a hypocrite. But over the years I've needed to carve a place for myself somewhere. I've never truly belonged to anyone."

"Who wants to belong to anybody?" Lorenzo hopped up from the chair. "Skye if only you knew or truly understood what happened to me as a child."

Skye leaned on the table. "Here we go. I'm sure we can get in to see Kevin."

Lorenzo flipped the chair around and straddled it ready to reveal all to Skye. "I see Kevin…on occasion."

"I'm Valentin Cassadine or Gallos as my friends prefer to call me."

Lorenzo's ears perked up as he stood up from the chair and looked towards the mansion with the door cracked from Lila Rae forgetting to shut it tightly. Lorenzo looked at Skye and pressed his finger to his lips for her to stay quiet.

Gallos stepped into the mansion to Edward's perplexed stare. "It was me that stole the Quartermaine accounts. But you would have to admit that they originally belonged to the Cassadines."

Edward furrowed his brow. "Who the hell are you?"

Gallos pulled out his thick wallet and flashed an ID card for Edward. "I can also show you my passport. I'm not well known in the states but they think I'm God over in Europe. My stomping ground is Greece. It's where I was born and where I hope to die. I was an orphaned boy. I didn't really…" He smirked. "I don't know a damn thing about my family." He averted his eyes upwards to Lois who was peering down at him from the top of the stairs. "Dear God. Beauty is hovering above me. How about you introduce yourself?"

Edward pointed towards Lois. "Stay away from her! She's taken. Who the hell are you?!"

Lorenzo figured he'd save Edward from a yelling fit. He raced into the mansion and grabbed Gallos' arm. "He's with me Edward."

"Why are you here?!" Edward barked.

"For me!" Lila Rae's tiny voice dropped the room to silence. She grabbed hold to Lorenzo's leg. "Don't make him leave Grandpa. We haven't had the chance for tea."

Edward grumbled. "Why would I allow a child to talk me into allowing thugs to eat tea and crumpets in Lila's rose garden!"

Lois started down the stairs. "Edward. Maybe just this once we should back off." She focused her eyes on Gallos. "Can we get some details on your theft?"

Gallos grinned.

Lorenzo yanked harder on Gallos' arm. "He's taken. He's seeing Dara Jensen."

Gallos cut his eyes at Lorenzo. "I'm a ladies man. Yes I have eyes for Ms. Jensen. Uh let me guess." He snapped his fingers. "Brooklyn?"

"Bensonhurst to be specific." Lois blurted out. "Don't get it twisted."

Gallos chuckled. "Same thing." He wandered around the foyer of the mansion. "Nice digs Mr. Quartermaine. You should come by my place—Wyndemere." He turned back to Lorenzo. "In case you didn't know, I'm the first born son of King Mikkosavich Cassadine."

"And what does that mean?" Lorenzo asked. "Why do any of us give a damn who you are?"

Gallos pulled a cigar from his top jacket pocket. "The authorities want to seize the Cassadine assets because your grandson, Alan Quartermaine Jr. seems to think I'm a criminal."

"You just barged in here and stated such." Lorenzo argued. "I don't blame Mr. Quartermine wanting you to leave and have you thrown in prison."

Edward rubbed his forehead. "Whose side are you on?" He pointed at Lorenzo.

"The side that protects my daughter and Skye's assets."

Skye smiled hoping to hide the blushing in her cheeks.

A.J. walked into the mansion. "Well. Right on time. Valentin Cassadine?" He stretched out his hand to Gallos.

Gallos shook A.J.'s hand. "The ruse is up. You found me. But you won't find the money that you're looking for. I'm of no use to you. ELQ was nothing more than a front for bigger and better things…an operation of sorts."

Lorenzo grabbed Gallos and pulled him outside into the rose garden. "What the fuck do you think you're doing? You got me kissing Skye's ass in there! What the hell is going on?"

Gallos lit his cigar and took a couple puffs. "Harlan Barrett is ready to strike. Nothing wrong with throwing a little red meat out to the authorities. It's not like they didn't know the Cassadines were behind it all."

"And you know the one leading the pack was Natasha."

"Natasha can take of herself."

Lorenzo's eyes fell to the ground.

Gallos ran his fingers through his hair. "My apologies…I'm being insensitive. If I'm making it worse tell me so. I'll go."

"You're making it worse." Lorenzo mumbled.

Gallos started to leave until Lorenzo turned to him. "Gallos!"

Gallos stopped. "Yes."

"Who was your mother? Is she still alive? Or did Helena do to her what she did to mine and Natasha's?"

Gallos puffed his cigar once more before tossing it into the bushes. "I wish I knew. I know nothing about my mother. Never saw her. I'm the lucky one. No memories to cling to hungrily like crumbs."

* * *

Zander just needed to breathe some fresh air. He felt safe again. He hadn't taken a deep breath in months. He dropped his chest over the railing of Sonny's deck and inhaled deeply. He pulled himself back up and sighed.

"Zander?"

Zander spun around to Brenda. "Hey there. Sorry. I was just stretching. Been doing a lot of traveling. Really no time to let loose."

Brenda handed him a warm mug. "Coffee. Look like you could use a pick me up."

Zander took the mug. "I don't even know what to say to you."

Brenda was confused. "Thank you? It's just coffee. Nothing difficult."

Zander sipped his coffee. "You uh talk to your sister ever?"

"Julia? It's been a couple weeks. We always end up fighting. In her eyes, I'm still that irresponsible little girl that she needs to fix."

Zander nodded with a smile. "I get that. She can't stop talking about you. Julia loves you. She means well."

Brenda was thrown for a loop. "Are you seeing Julia?"

Zander was clueless. "Not like that. I have seen her. I consider her to be my sister soo…"

Brenda backed away from Zander. "Hold that thought. Let me let you be alone." She hurried back inside the house where she bumped into Gia waiting on Sonny's couch. "Gia?"

Gia stood up. "Sonny around? Just want to check on him."

"He's upstairs. I'll get him." Brenda raced up the stairs to Sonny's bedroom. She found him lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. "Sonny! I need you!"

Sonny sat up. "Zander ok?"

Brenda closed the door. "Something is weird. Zander was talking about Julia like they're tight. Where has Zander been all of these years?"

"You know about as much as I do. Did you ask him?"

"He just said that he considers Julia to be his sister."

Sonny shrugged. "Ok. Doesn't mean anything."

Brenda pondered Zander's words. "Except that my mother possibly had another child."

Sonny kicked his legs to the side of the bed. "She did? Couldn't be Zander. His father was uh Cameron Smith unless your mother knew him."

"Who was his mother?"

Sonny shrugged. "Don't know."

"What are the chances Cameron Smith wasn't his father?"

Sonny scoffed. "I don't know much. I never asked questions unless he volunteered. But I always got the impression that he was a bit of an orphaned kid. Alexis took him under her wing after he got in some trouble."

Gia's vision focused on the back of Zander still standing outside on the deck. She decided to walk outside. "Hello?"

Zander turned around and leaned his tired frame on the railing. "Gia?"

Gia ran to Zander and hugged him tight. "Oh my God. Where the hell have you been?"

Zander straightened his shirt disheveled from Gia's embrace. "I saw you at Kelly's. I was hoping it was you."

"You were dead."

"I was never dead." Zander laughed until his laughter faded into sadness. "Or maybe I was."

"Are you here to stay? You have to stay? You have to meet your son."

Zander's eyes widen. "My son. My son is here?"

"I've spent some time with him. Cameron. His name is Cameron."

Zander took a moment to think. "What's he look like?"

"Your twin. Dark shaggy hair. Dark eyes."

"I've seen him." Zander sighed. "I knew that watch was familiar. I just couldn't place it."

"Yea. Alexis gave it to him for Christmas. He broke it."

Zander silently nodded. "I'm starting to remember…Elizabeth. His mother."

Worry filled Gia's eyes. "Who took away your memory?"

Zander could barely look at Gia. "Helena Cassadine."

Brenda started to pace. "My mother was…"

"A whore."

"Loose."

"They both mean the same thing." Sonny picked up the glass of Scotch on his nightstand. "You know who she was with?"

Brenda tried her hardest to think. "Well I do recall Luis Alcazar mentioning the probability that my mother gave birth to his son."

The glass just barely touched Sonny's lips. He paused. "Luis Alcazar?"

"At first, he told me he was holding me captive as payback to my mother. He said she took his son away. I thought he was just crazy."

Sonny tossed the Scotch down his throat.

Brenda noticed Sonny thinking. "So? Thoughts?"

"What's the probability that this whole thing was a setup from the beginning?" He dropped the glass to the ground.

"What whole thing?"

Sonny buried his face in his hands. "The Alcazar brothers are nothing but trouble. They destroyed me. Maybe Zander was nothing more than a Trojan horse." He stood up and angrily pounded on his dresser.

"Must everything be about you Sonny?"

Sonny rubbed his forehead. "I just want to know how long has Helena been planning this? How long have the Alcazar's been in her back pocket? Zander shows up to town and he ends up on Alexis' doorstep. And now you're telling me that he's possibly your brother?"

"I don't get how any of this could possibly be connected. My mother possibly had sex with Luis. There's nothing more to it Sonny. This isn't some big conspiracy against you. Stop making everything about you."

Sonny grunted. "Kind of hard to swallow considering my brother and my boy are dead. I don't know who killed them. So forgive me if I have trouble believing this is all a coincidence."

"So what now?"

Sonny pointed to the door. "I want you to get Zander out of my house. That's what."

Brenda's jaw practically hit the ground. "You don't mean that?"

"He's your brother...you take care of him."

"We can go to Nikolas about his grandmother." Gia tried to plead with Zander.

Zander waved her away. "Please Gia. Don't bring up his name."

"I know what happened with Emily was bad and caused bad blood between you and Nikolas."

"You loved him too and he hurt you."

"We just weren't meant to be."

Zander crossed his arms. "Emily's gone? Dead?"

"Yes."

"Who killed her?" A tear dropped from Zander's eye.

"Diego Alcazar."

Zander could barely catch his breath.

"Diego strangled Emily in Wyndemere."

"Where was Nikolas?"

"I don't know the full story. It was just what I read."

"I could've protected her."

"Don't do this."

"Gia, how was this Diego related to the Alcazar's? I need to know."

"He was Lorenzo Alcazar's son."

* * *

Lorenzo strolled through the dark halls of Wyndemere until he found Mikkosavich admiring The Queen Natasha in the Great Room. "I can do a better one if you prefer."

Mikkosavich grinned from ear to ear. "I just love keeping Helena on her toes. I suspect I'll find it burning in the fire one day."

"The prince is safe. He and Natasha are under my protection…as I promised." Lorenzo cuffed his hands behind his back and waited for approval.

Mikkosavich raised his glass of vodka to Lorenzo. "Good. Are they here?"

"At a safe house. Here would be bad. Anna and Robert want answers and they want to interrogate Natasha. But I thought it would be best that she have her time with Mikkos."

"I've met Kristina."

Lorenzo smiled. "She's is her mother's child."

"That she is. She thought it appropriate to bring an assassin into my home."

"It's best not to scold her. Her father won't take too kindly to it."

"The safety of the Cassadines is at stake. We've fallen once, we won't fall again…at least not before my enemies. Drink?" Mikkosavich held up the vodka.

Lorenzo shook his head. "I want my thought processes clear. I have questions."

Mikkosavich took a seat and relaxed in his chair as Lorenzo stood before him. "Ask away."

Lorenzo relaxed his body. "Who is…" He swallowed hard. "Gallos made a fool of himself at the Quartermaines. He's trying to sabotage."

"I realize my son is having a tantrum. I'll handle him as I do Stavros. What must be realized is it's a struggle of power between those two. Why they bother, I don't know."

"Because Natasha is the chosen one."

Mikkosavich chuckled. "If you say so. All of my children have to prove themselves worthy of anything. And none of them have…except for you." He stood and grabbed Lorenzo's shoulders. "You are loyal. You always have been despite not being a true Cassadine."

Lorenzo fell into a daze. "You feel like you owe me something?"

"When Stefan lost the Cassadine fortune, it was you who helped my grandson rebuild it."

"I thought you hated me…after what happened with Natasha."

"I wasn't thrilled about the pregnancy. I wanted Natasha to live her life and not be saddled with a child. She was young."

"She was." Lorenzo agreed. "But I still resent you for taking Alexandra away from us."

Mikkosavich looked Lorenzo in the eyes. "You have questions?"

"Who is Valentin's mother?"

Gallos quietly crept closer to the door of the Great Room.

Mikkosavich released Lorenzo from his grasp. "Do you remember the…"

"Night my mother was killed? Very clearly. I have nightmares about it. The guilt will never leave me. Helena was right. I didn't protect the Queen. If I had, she'd probably still be alive."

"If you know the answer to your questions, why ask them?"

"I'd like you for once to take the blame for all of the bloodshed. You didn't protect my mother. I know she loved you."

Gallos pressed his ear to the crack of the opening.

Mikkosavich stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Yes. Valentin is your brother. And I cared very much for your mother. And you're right, I did nothing to protect her."

Gallos pressed his body against the wall. The anger festered deep inside his restrained silence.

Lorenzo played with his fingers. "I'm not going to give up on Natasha the way you gave up on our mother. Natasha deserves to live and I will see to it that she does."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

"I wish you could talk to me." Anna smoothed the waft of hair from Franco's calm face as he lay dying in his hospital bed. "I just want to know what happened. Who did this to you?" She sat down next to him on the side of his bed savoring the chance to touch him again and surrendering to the feeling of missing what he could have been. "I don't have a right to demand what happened. Lord knows you've destroyed soo many lives. Soo many mothers whose chances you've ruined of ever holding their loved ones again."

"Anna." Patrick walked in with his expression steady not wanting to show his feelings one way or another. "Holly is outside. Is it ok if she comes in?"

Anna rested her body next to Franco and stroked his face.

Holly walked into the room. "How is he?" She asked Patrick.

"It's only a matter of time." Patrick slipped his clipboard under his arm and took off.

Anna barely acknowledged Holly.

"I'm sorry if I've come off as insensitive."

Anna stopped stroking Franco's face. "Thank you for not leaving him alone to suffer. You didn't have to put yourself in danger but I'm grateful." She stood up from Franco's bed. "Is there any information you can give me?"

"It would all be hearsay." Holly's eyes fell to Franco. "Dr. Jackson practically admitted using Project Orpheus on Franco to save Alexis."

"Natasha." Anna wiped her teary eyes. "It's so complicated Holly. This whole multiple personality situation. My grandson is still out there. I have no clue where he is. I can't reconcile how I feel about Alexis considering she doesn't remember killing Franco or losing Mikkos."

"Is there anything I can do?" Holly took hold to Anna's hand. "Anything?"

Anna sighed. "I can't believe King Mikkosavich is alive. Everything that we've built ourselves upon is now destroyed. There's no absolute truth anymore. Robert used to pride himself on helping save the world yet his legacy could be creating the progeny used to destroy it."

* * *

Luke took a swig of his liquor. He couldn't see straight. He stared at the whiskey bottle and realized what started out as almost full was close to empty. "Where has the time gone?"

Ethan hurried down the stairs of the Haunted Star. "Luke, have you seen Franco?"

Luke crossed his eyes as his only means of focusing on Ethan. "Please. The bigger question is have I seen the devil. And I have not. But when I do…" He raised his finger and stumbled backward catching his balance with help from the edge of the bar. "The king is alive Dodge." He rested his elbows on the bar.

"I told you that the Cassadines are trouble."

"I never doubted that!"

"Look, how do we know who's pledging allegiance to the king? This guy tried to create his own North Pole. Who's to say he won't try it again? I mean that weather machine definitely works. Nikolas used it to make snow for Brenda. Johnny and I are freaking the fuck out Luke."

"What's to fear Ethan?" Robert appeared in the dimly lit room startling both Ethan and Luke.

"What do you mean?" Ethan's voice squeaked.

Robert pointed to Luke. "Does Luke look fearful?"

"He's drunk! Do you know how many people have been killed or maimed over the last couple of months? Can I let you both in on a piece of news, Alexis had it out for Dante. Yes I'm a snitch. Put me in witness protection Dad."

Luke continued to quietly sip his drink caring even less than he did minutes before.

Robert shook his head. "You're right Ethan. Franco was the fearless son."

"Fuck fearless! I want to live." Ethan threw up his hands.

"Was that meant to be an insult Robert?" Luke's speech was slurred. "You're starting to sound like a Cassadine eating your young."

Robert grabbed Ethan's arm. "Pull it together. Franco may have been the fearless son, but you're the one with heart. What this is with the Cassadines, we'll get through it together. But we gotta remain calm. I've been a bit of a hothead myself lately. My behavior with Alexis hasn't been appropriate…"

"But warranted." Ethan interjected. "I love Kristina but I've heard stories about the Cassadines. They slit people's throat and electrocute them and make them play chess. And clearly they like to raise the dead. That ain't my kind of party."

Robert pulled Ethan closer to him. "You have to learn and I'm determined to teach you."

"So you're not gonna put me in witness protection?"

"No Ethan. We're going to fight this together."

Luke groaned. "What a touching moment."

"Luke, are you in or not?!" Robert yelled.

Luke slammed his glass on the counter. "Of course I'm in. My little girl is in a wheelchair right now. I gotta fight this for her. And so do you Dodge."

Ethan jerked his body from Robert and stormed off.

Luke waved his hand in the air. "He'll be ok. Dodge always comes around."

Ethan's heart pounded in his chest as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him from the Haunted Star to the docks. He stopped to catch his breath bending over to rest on his hands griping his knees. He gasped for air and slowly stood upright to Helena staring him down. He grabbed at his chest believing that he was having a heart attack but realized it was merely a panic attack as his chest tightened with each breath. "Dear God…" He continued to gasp for air as Helena backed him into a corner.

"You know everything." Helena surmised. "I can take away your greatest fear. The only one you should fear is me. I'm the enemy."

Ethan rested his back against the brick wall and finally caught his breath. "What's it gonna cost me?"

"You tell me what happened the night my precious Franco was hurt and I will give you immunity on your life."

Ethan thought for a moment. "I don't know anything." He looked away.

Helena reached into her coat and slipped out a dagger. "Have you heard the legend? I'm quite good with a knife." She pierced the edge of the knife into Ethan's jugular.

Ethan grabbed the blade as his hands trembled. "Ok. I get it."

Helena slipped the dagger from his grasp.

Ethan squealed with pain as he looked at the palms of his hand filling with blood. "Ok. I'll tell you everything. Just promise you won't ever hurt me or my mother."

_Ethan broke into Sonny's warehouse and found Michael still sitting in the corner. "Hey Mate…" He looked down at the mess of murder on the floor. "What happened here?"_

_"What does it look like?" Michael cried again. "I just wanna go home."_

_"Go on home. Are we waiting for Johnny?"_

_Michael slowly nodded his head. Ethan went over to Michael and yanked him up from the floor. "Come on. Pull it together. Go on home." He shoved Michael towards the door._

_"Are…are you sure?" Michael sniffled. "What about Alexis? What if she comes back and she needs us?"_

_"I got it." Ethan motioned him towards the door._

_Michael took one last glance before he made his escape._

* * *

_Nikolas took Sam's hand in his and squeezed it tight. "Why did you call Johnny?"_

_"To hide the body."_

_"Whoa..." Dante waved his hands. "I can't be party to this."_

_"Dante!" Sonny yanked Dante up by his shirt. "I'm not joking. You know this has Alexis written all over it. You breathe one word, you're gonna end up like Franco."_

_Dante pried Sonny's hand from his shirt. "You're threatening your own kid."_

_"I'm telling you Dante. If Alexis is responsible for this, this hurts more than just Alexis. This hurts Sam, Kristina, Molly, and Mikkos."_

_"And me." Nikolas said with sadness in his eyes. "I used to think I wanted this to happen and now I don't know anymore. I hope she's ok."_

_"Do you know where she is?" Sonny asked._

_Sam wiped tears from her eyes. "I don't. I haven't spoken to my mom in a couple days."_

Sam woke up from her terror realizing she was in her bed alone. She took a deep breath and felt around under the sheets to ensure that she wasn't tossed into the nightmare of staring down at Franco's dead body. But another worry bubbled up in her chest. She held her breath and could hear Alana babbling downstairs. Sam got out of her bed and went down the stairs as the sounds of Alana grew. She spotted Jason at the dinner table holding Alana in his arms and attempting to get her to eat. Sam watched in relief that her bad dreams were merely a part of her sleep but Jason and her little family were real.

Sam slipped her arms around Jason and buried her face in his hair. "I'm sorry."

Jason looked up at Sam and smiled. "We're fine. Alana hates her high chair. She wants to eat like a big girl." He laughed as Alana batted away the spoon from her mouth. "I guess we're done here."

Sam didn't want to let go of Jason. "We can talk about it."

Jason slipped from Sam's grasp and got up to clean Alana off at the kitchen sink. "I just don't want to talk about it. I'm not mad. Lucky is my friend and he's clearly not doing well."

"You lost a son too. You've lost two…sons."

Jason snuggled Alana. "Mikkos isn't lost. We'll find him. Right now I feel terrible for Sonny."

"Yea. I had a bad dream."

"What about?"

"The day I found Franco's body."

Spinelli rushed into the kitchen wringing his hands. "Fair Samantha. I'm so happy to see you." He hugged Sam. "Stone Cold, have you and Fair Samantha been told of the news?"

Jason shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Spinelli cringed at the thought of being the bearer of bad news. "I feel the Dark and Murderous one is still alive."

"Who the hell is the dark and murderous one? There's plenty of that walking around here." Jason asked.

Spinelli bit at his nails. "Franco."

Sam turned to Jason. "What?"

Jason almost dropped Alana but quickly regained his strength. Sam went to Jason and took Alana from him. "What do you mean Spinelli?"

"I don't know the details but I know that he was found in the tunnels of Wyndemere."

Sam held tight to Alana. "Jason?"

"Spinelli, I need information. I need you to investigate this!" Jason raised his voice.

Alana broke out sobbing.

"It's ok." Sam bounced Alana. "What the hell happened?"

"I wish I knew Fair Samantha."

"Where is my mother? Does anyone know where she is? I haven't seen her in forever."

Jason rested his hands on his hips. "Spinelli, find Alexis please."

"I'm on it Stone Cold." Spinelli ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Jason watched Sam calming Alana down from his outburst. "I'm so sorry." A lump formed in his throat.

Sam forced a smile. "It's ok."

"No it's not. I've failed you."

"This isn't your fault Jason."

Jason crossed his arms. "I feel like I need to get back in. I'm weak right now. Gallos made a fool of me in Casablanca."

Sam wrapped her arm around Jason. "You are not a fool. As much as I loved you being out, I would never want to be the reason you go back to the organization."

* * *

Alexis inhaled Mikkos' baby smell. He stirred from his nap and opened his eyes. He pressed his finger in her cheek. "What are you doing?" She kissed his face until she could hear movement outside the bedroom door. "Who is it?"

The garbled sounds of conversation continued outside her door. Alexis tucked Mikkos into the bed and got up for the door. She quietly opened the door and stuck out her head only noticing a bright light far down the hall. Alexis stepped out into the hall but took a look back at Mikkos drifting off to sleep.

Zander waited for an answer from Lorenzo to his question. "Who was Diego? And why would he kill Emily?"

Lorenzo removed his coat and tossed it onto the top of the chair. He unbuttoned his cuffs before taking a seat. "I didn't know Diego very well. But I am sorry that he killed Emily. She was a good person."

"I loved her. I loved her with every bit of me. Even when she chose Nikolas over me, I still loved her."

Lorenzo could barely look at Zander. "This isn't the time to rehash the past. Emily is gone…"

"I won't believe it."

"Hello?" Alexis stepped out into the living room. Her eyes focused on Zander. "Zander?"

Zander looked at Alexis. "Yes?"

Lorenzo slumped in his chair. "Who are you right now?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Alexis asked. "Where did he come from?" She went to Zander and touched him. "Is it really you?"

Zander looked at Lorenzo. "I'm so confused."

Lorenzo bit at his fingers. He stood up. "How about I make dinner and the three of us talk about this weirdness?" He went to the kitchen.

Zander slipped his hands into his pockets. "You acted like you didn't know me."

Alexis clasped her warm hands around Zander's face. " My boy."

"I guess." Zander felt that familiar warmth and love that he remembered from Alexis.

"Where have you been?" Alexis moved her hands from his face.

"Away."

"Lorenzo is right. Emily is gone."

Zander's eyes glistened with tears. "I didn't really get to say goodbye. Not in the way that I wanted to. Who did this to her?"

"I wish I knew. So many lives have been taken since you've been gone including Rick's."

Zander's dropped his eyes to the ground. "Why do you care about Rick?"

Alexis touched her chest. "He was my ex-husband. And Molly's father. Speaking of, I should check in with the girls. Lorenzo, we need to discuss this arrangement."

Lorenzo went back into the living room. "Alexis, it isn't safe for you to leave. I will keep everyone informed that you're safe. You leave, you're susceptible to being put behind bars for Franco."

Zander swallowed hard. "Who is Molly?"

Alexis smiled. "She's my daughter. There's Sam, Kristina, Molly, and Mikkosavich."

"I can't stay for dinner." Zander headed for the doors.

"Whoa!" Lorenzo shouted. "You can't come and go as you please. I'm certain you're being watched. My men can only handle so much. You either stay or go."

Zander gripped the door handle.

"Why can't you stay? We have a lot to discuss like where the hell you've been all these years." Alexis plead.

Zander relented. "Then you'll probably want to throw me out when I tell you that I killed Rick Lansing."

The room fell to dead silence. None of the three knew the right words to use to break it.

"So I'll go." Zander continued.

"You're not going anywhere." Lorenzo dimmed the lights. "I'll set the table."

"You killed Rick?" Alexis barely let the words fall from her lips. She looked for Lorenzo and noticed him carefully setting the table. "Why would you do that?"

"Karma. He deserved it." Zander could barely raise his head to look at her from the shame in his eyes.

"You don't believe that."

"You see what he did to me Alexis. He destroyed me. He almost killed me. But I survived."

"Dinner is served." Lorenzo leaned on the door frame and waited for Alexis and Zander to finally move from their frozen standings.

Zander made the first move keeping his eyes to the ground as he slid into the chair and unfolded the cloth napkin into his lap. His eyes focused on the plate. Chills went down his spine as he felt Alexis sit down next to him. His angry facade melted away. He realized he missed her. He started to remember everything about her including her favorite perfume. "I remember you." He looked up at Alexis and smiled.

Alexis smoothed her napkin in her lap and nodded still processing everything. "I would never forget you Zander. And I'm sorry I wasn't there for you in the end. But you have to understand that I was very close to losing Kristina and all of my focus went into her. And I guess I felt I had to take sides between you and Nikolas."

"Blood is thicker than water. I get it." Zander clasped his hands together to pray.

Alexis smiled. "You still say your grace."

Zander finished and picked up his fork. "I've been without meals days at a time. I'm always thankful for the next one if one is meant to be had."

Lorenzo took a seat across from Alexis and Zander. "Zander, Alexis and I should know everything about Rick. There's still an open investigation into his murder. And the assumption was that Stavros killed him. So what really happened?"

Zander took a bite and swallowed hard. "Do I get protection?"

"Of course." Lorenzo nodded.

"Stavros asked me to find him, beat him half to death, and kidnap him. Turns out that Rick was making a lot of trips to the Cassadine Islands."

"You were at the Cassadine Islands?" Alexis asked.

Zander looked down again. "I hid out in the caves. Sometimes I stayed on the side of the island that everyone claims is haunted."

Lorenzo stared at Alexis. "Is that where your mother was killed?"

Alexis put down her fork and sighed. "As far as I can remember."

"Mine was killed there as well. Alexandra Alcazar was your grandmother…"

"Whoa!" Alexis held up her hand. "His grandmother? How?"

Lorenzo stabbed his fork into his food. "I found out why my brother, Luis, was holding Brenda hostage. Zander was his son with Veronica Wilding Barrett."

Alexis rested in her chair. "Dr. Lewis is Zander's father."

Lorenzo shook his head. "No. Helena lied…as she always does. She plays God with children's lives. And as God is my witness she won't be allowed to do it to Mikkos."

"Helena hired me to kidnap Mikkos." Zander looked ahead.

"You kidnapped my son?" Alexis took her hand and touched Zander's chin to get his attention. "I need details Zander."

"She told me that Mikkos was my son. My memory isn't very good. I never saw my son. So I didn't know that she was lying. So Helena told me where he would be and I was to take my reward for killing Rick and lay low until she told me about the next hit."

"Who was the next victim?"

Zander looked at Lorenzo. "The prince. Problem is I assumed that she meant Nikolas. Apparently he's no longer the prince. Can I ask a question?"

"Of course." Alexis obliged.

"Who is Mikkos' father?"

Lorenzo grunted before continuing to eat.

Alexis pulled her napkin from her lap and placed it on the table. "His biological father is Franco…Robert Frank Scorpio."


End file.
